The "Portland Audubon" Sells for $9.65 Million
At auction in New York earlier today, the Portland Audubon -- the double-elephant folio of Audubon's Birds of America once owned by the dukes of Portland -- sold for $9.65 million.
One of only thirteen copies left in private hands, the Portland Audubon was last seen at auction in 2012, when it sold just shy of $8 million. Because of its vibrant illustrations and full morocco binding, it is considered "undoubtedly among the very finest" copies of Audubon's masterpiece, according to Christie's. The bidding today started at $6 million and proceeded cautiously to $8.3 million, selling with premium for a total of $9.65 million. Thus is does not break the record for Birds of America, still held by the Hesketh copy sold in December 2010 for the equivalent of $11.5 million.
-To read more about how the proceeds of this sale will be used: https://www.audubon.org/news/a-rare-copy-audubons-birds-america-heads-auction-benefit-conservation
-To read more about John James Audubon's personal history: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-ca-cm-audubon-birds-america-20180531-story.html
-To read more about the birds featured within: https://www.christies.com/features/Little-citizens-of-the-feathered-tribe-Audubon-Birds-of-America-9171-3.aspx
