John James Audubon 1785-1851

John James Audubon 1785-1851

John James Audubon1785-1851By Matt Darok

A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children.-John James Audubon

Significance

-One of the first American conservationists

-Brought many new fieldwork techniques for studying wildlife to the New World that have lasted for a century and a half

-Contributed greatly to the Romantic era

Audubon the Innovator He revolutionized and improved many techniques for studying wildlife including: Bird-banding-First person to use the process in America-Monitored Eastern Phoebes and discovered that they return to the same nesting sites year after year-Still used todayRealistic observations-Determined to document birds as theyd rarely been seen before-TaxidermistField guides-Set a model for modern day field guides

Audubon recorded many species that are now extinct, including these Carolina Parakeet

Birds of AmericaMost popular of his worksFirst published in England39x26 inchesIncluded hand colored, life size prints made from engraved platesThe cost of printing the complete works was $115,640, over two million dollars todayIf a subscriber would have bought the complete works, it would have been over $1000In 2010, a complete 1st edition went for over $11 million in London

Audubon the RomanticistHis work is a great example of the new-found love of and respect for nature in the American and European Romantic eras. He would not have been as popular without this support from both continents.

Like much of the artwork and literature of the time, his paintings emphasized the beauty of nature.

A brief history:In the early decades of the 19th century, Audubon succeeded in businessAfter economic failure, he took up his hobby of painting and observing birdsTraveled down the Mississippi living off the land and drawing & documenting birdsHis first (partly finished) collection, The American Woodsman, was a huge success in EuropeWith the money from it, he was able to publish Birds of America, his most famous workPeople in America and Europe loved his paintings because of their Romantic spirit

Audubon the ConservationistAudubon inspired some of the earliest American conservation movements, the effects of which can still be seen today.

The Audubon SocietyFounded by George Bird Grinnell, who was tutored by Audubons wife LucyOrganization that works to protect birds and their habitatGrinnell was inspired by the work of Audubon, and named the organization after himThe name Audubon today remains synonymous with birds and bird conservation all over the world

Without the work of John James Audubon at the forefront of the American Romantic era, the conservationist and bird-watching communities would not be as developed as they are today.

Works citedInformation:Rhodes, Richard.John James Audubon: The Making of an American. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2004. Print."John James Audubon."Audubon.org. National Audubon Society, 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2014."Five Fascinating Facts About John James Audubon."Birdsandblooms.org. Birds & Blooms, 15 Jan. 2012. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.Pictures:"John James Audubon."Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Jan. 2014. Web. 19 Jan. 2014"Five Fascinating Facts About John James Audubon."Birdsandblooms.org. Birds & Blooms, 15 Jan. 2012. Web. 20 Jan. 2014."The Birds of America."Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2014Dobbs, Kerri. "Audubon and the Great Egret, a Legacy of WildlifeConservation."Blue Ocean Institutes Next Wave in the Peconic Estuary. N.p., 2 July 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2014