Audubon’s Last Wilderness Journey: The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America

The Quadrupeds was J.J. Audubon’s final great natural history work, published over 3 volumes in 1845-1848. This landmark publication cuts right across art history, wildlife science and ecology, supported by new photography of Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University’s copy of the original 1849 three-volume elephant folio broadsheet edition (the subject of ongoing conservation work). It looks at the art historical context and technical process of the series creation, the lithographic process and its history, and how the series was originally created). Furthermore it also considers zoological aspects of the series, including classification issues and new species, locations, plus the wider importance of the pre-settlement wilderness.