One of the world's most valuable books goes on display in Glasgow
Summary
Two volumes of the rare and valuable book Birds of America by John James Audubon are on display at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow. The book shows life-size, hand-colored images of North American birds and is considered one of the greatest works of bird art in the world.Key Facts
- The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow has owned the two volumes since 1838.
- Birds of America includes detailed, hand-colored pictures of over 200 bird species from early 19th-century North America.
- Each page is very large, about 3 feet by 2 feet, and must be handled carefully by two people.
- Audubon created the book to document all the bird species in North America and worked to sell copies before printing.
- Charles Darwin attended Audubon’s lectures on birds in Edinburgh, where Audubon also found his first UK publisher.
- The book was expensive to make and benefited from the work of enslaved and indigenous people in America.
- The exhibition is free and open to the public at the college’s library in Glasgow, but visitors are asked to book in advance.
- The book recently appeared in the BBC comedy Small Prophets as a key plot element.
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