The World's Most Expensive Book at Auction

Audubon was an itinerant artist who traversed the American wilderness of the early nineteenth century, drawing birds. His idea to create an oversized folio of more than four hundred hand-colored plates showing the birds in life-size was visionary; it was also prohibitively expensive. He relied on subscriptions to raise the necessary funds. His magnificently illustrated double-elephant folio was issued in parts in the years 1827-1838, initially printed by W.H. Lizars of Edinburgh, but soon transferred to Robert Havell & Son in London.

Above: Audubon's Roseate Spoonbill
In terms of the edition size and rarity of extant copies, it is estimated that approximately 200 complete copies of the folio were made. Today, about 120 are accounted for; with only thirteen in private hands. Christie's further reports that since 1973, twenty-four copies of the book have come to auction, fourteen of which have been sold incomplete or on a sheet-by-sheet basis.
The sale will be held on January 20 at Christie's New York.