John James Audubon: Science into Art (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

1985 April 18 - 1985 July 21

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened April 18, 1985 and closed July 21, 1985. Located in the Naturemax Gallery of the American Museum of Natural History. John James Audubon: Science into Art, curated by Mary LeCroy, Senior Scientific Assistant in the Museum's Department of Ornithology, featured paintings, prints, documents, and memorabilia from the Museum's collection as well as two new hand-colored Birds of America prints struck from original, restored copperplates.

Summary

John James Audubon: Science into Art, curated by Mary LeCroy, Senior Scientific Assistant in the Museum's Department of Ornithology, featured paintings, prints, documents, and memorabilia from the Museum's collection as well as two new hand-colored Birds of America prints struck from original, restored copperplates and examined the methods Audubon used to collect, study, and paint specimens. The exhibition marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of John James Audubon (1, p. 1; 2, p. 38; 3).

The exhibition was produced with a grant from Johnson and Higgins and traveled to other institutions under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service between 1985-1988. Those institutions included the Mississippi River Museum (Memphis, TN), University of Washington (Seattle, WA), Greenville County Museum of Art (Greenville, SC), Staten Island Institute of Art and Sciences (Staten Island, NY), Dane G. Hansen Memorial Museum (Logan, KS), The Academy of Natural Sciences (Philadelphia, PA), Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum (Wausau, WI), and the National Museum of Natural Sciences (Ottawa, ON) (2, p. 4; 4).

Highlights (1, p. 1-3; 3):

*20th century prints of "Wild Turkey, Male" and "Snowy Owl" from Birds of America

*An original Birds of America copperplate

*Birds of America prints issued between 1827 and 1838

*Videos, including a loop documenting the process used in restoration and an excerpt from David Attenborough's film, "Audubon"

*Illustrations by Audubon and his sons, Victor Gifford Audubon and John Woodhouse Audubon

*Illustrations from the Museum Library's rare book room, works by Audubon contemporaries and predecessors including Mark Catesby, William Bartram, Alexander Wilson, Thomas Nuttall, John Kirk Townsend, and Titian Peale

*Audubon's palette

*The portfolio used during Audubon's production of Birds of America

*Photographs of the Audubon family

*Artifacts including buckskin jackets, guns, and bird specimens among them those from Audubon's last expedition on the Missouri River in 1843

*Audubon's mammal paintings made for Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, including "American Porcupine" and "Swift Fox"

This is a condensed summary of the exhibition. For additional information, see Sources and/or Related Resources.

Sources

(1) American Museum of Natural History. Press Release. "Exhibition Marks 200th Anniversary of the Birth of John James Audubon." December 12, 1984. Departmental Records, DR 101. American Museum of Natural History Library.

(2) American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1984-1985.

(3) American Museum of Natural History. "'John James Audubon: Science into Art': Thursday, April 18, through Sunday, July 21, 1985: Slides." [n.d.]. Special Collections, vertical files. American Museum of Natural History Library.

(4) American Museum of Natural History. "'John James Audubon: Science into Art': Itinerary." [n.d.]. Special Collections, vertical files. American Museum of Natural History Library.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

Academy of Natural Science of Philadelphia
Institutional partner (4)

American Museum of Natural History. Department of Ornithology.
Related department (2, p. 38)

American Museum of Natural History. Naturemax Gallery.
Location of exhibition 1985 April 18 – 1985 July 21 (1, p. 1)

Audubon, John James 1785-1851
Featured (1)

Audubon, John Woodhouse 1812-1862
Featured artist (1)

Audubon, Victor Gifford, 1809-1860
Featured artist (1)

Bartram, William, 1739-1823
Featured artist (1)

Catesby, Mark, 1683-1749
Featured artist (1)

Dane G. Hansen Memorial Museum
Institutional partner (4)

Greenville County Museum of Art
Institutional partner (4)

Johnson & Higgins
Funded exhibition (2, p. 4)

LeCroy, Mary
Curator of exhibition (2, p. 38)

Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum
Institutional partner (4)

Mississippi River Museum
Institutional partner (4)

National Museum of Natural Sciences (Canada)
Institutional partner (4)

Nuttall, Thomas, 1786-1859
Featured artist (1)

Peale, Titian Ramsay 1799-1885
Featured artist (1)

Smithsonian Institution. Traveling Exhibition Service
Funded travel of exhibition to other institutions (2, p. 4)

Staten Island Museum of Arts and Sciences
Institutional partner (4)

Townsend, John Kirk, 1809-1851
Featured artist (1)

University of Washington
Institutional partner (4)

Wilson, Alexander, 1766-1813
Featured artist (1)

Related Resources

American Museum of Natural History. Annual Report. New York: American Museum of Natural History, 1984-1985: 1-4, 37-38, 52, 62.

American Museum of Natural History annual reports, 1902-2001.
"Ornithology Department Annual Report [1984-1985]" [1985].; "Ornithology Department Annual Report [1985-1986]" [1986].

American Museum of Natural History photographic drawers
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [Black and white contact sheets of exhibition on view]

American Museum of Natural History press releases, 1933-1990s.
"Exhibition Marks 200th Anniversary of the Birth of John James Audubon." December 12, 1984.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, Six Month Calendar, January-June 1985." January 10, 1985.; "New Edition of Audubon Prints to be Struck from Original Copper Plates." February 15, 1985.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, April 1985." March 4, 1985.; "Media Advisory: Joint Press Previews of Two Major Audubon Bicentennial Exhibitions, Tuesday, April 16." March 29, 1985.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, May 1985." April 2, 1985.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, June 1985." May 2, 1985.; "Museum Programs & Exhibitions, Six Month Calendar July-December 1985." June 28, 1985.

American Museum of Natural History Special Collections vertical files
Repository: AMNH Special Collections [April 1985 copy of Natural History, press folder, press releases, press material from the New-York Historical Society, planning materials, flyer for concert, black and white photo prints with captions, new articles]

Audubon, John James, 1785-1851
Includes American Black Rat; American Hare in Summer; Canada Porcupine; Common Ground Dove; Evening Grossbeak; John James Audubon: Science Into Art photographic slides, 1985; John James Audubon: Science Into Art plate restoration, press and hand-applied color photographic slides, circa 1985; Kit Fox; Pine Marten, Sandpiper; Young Racoon

Audubon the Naturalist / On belt "J.W.A. NY/1848". American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

Black Vultures. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

Carolina Parakeets. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

Dusky Squirrel / UR "JWA". American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

[Head of Deer]. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

John James Audubon (1785-1851)
Date of resource: 1843

John James Audubon (1785-1851). American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

subjectOf

John James Audubon: Science Into Art photographic slides, 1985. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

subjectOf

John James Audubon: Science Into Art plate restoration, press and hand-applied color photographic slides. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

Kit Fox / LC "J.J.A.". American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

Little Blue Heron. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

Prairie Wolf. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

Prothonotary Warblers. American Museum of Natural History Library Special Collections.

Six plates from Birds of America / by John James Audubon ; drawn from nature by the author between 1821 and 1833 and engraved in Edinburgh and London by W.H. Lizars & Robert Havell between 1828 and 1836 ; printed from the original plates now in the collection of the American Museum of Natural History.
Date of resource: 1985

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