?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 8,000 - $ 12,000
AUDUBON'S PLANS FOR THE FAMILY'S COPY OF BIRDS OF AMERICA AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. Autograph Letter, Signed, to his wife Lucy Bakewell Audubon, writing from Liverpool and discussing he early production of Birds of America and his plans for it. 3 pages, 4to sheet, on wove, watermark: "C Wilmot 1827"; old folds, small excision from on edge barely affecting text. Provenance: by repute, Audubon family, until 1920s; Grace Phillips Johnson (her sale, Christie's New York, 26 May 1977); H. Bradley Martin (his sale, "Part I: Audubon", Sotheby's New York, 6 June 1989, lot 26); where purchased by present owner. Liverpool, December 6, 1827
He expresses unsureness about the future of Birds of America: ". . .The 4 full sets of my Work, which dispose of or not as may please thee best, the whole amounts to 40 dollars __ probably Mr. Williams may wish to possess them or indeed the whole work as it comes out, which I Hope will be regularly."
He tells Lucy that he will reserve a set of Birds of America for the family: "I Keep a Set of my work for I, Thee, Victor, & John to be bound up in the style of The View of Edinburgh."
Planning to send Birds of America to the newly-elected US president: "Captn Rogers says that Jackson will be President, as soon as I am sure of the Election I will forward my work to whom ever may be."
Making excuses for the family not to join him in England: "I think with thee that it would be very prudent to leave Vict[or] where he is until I feel Stronger here and especially as he is comfortable there but I do long to have thee and hope I will in the course of a Month be able to make up my Mind to decide regularly and will inform thee by many opportunity."
