%eadnotat; ]> Vieillot Copper Plates of Birds, 1800-1802. Ewell Sale Stewart Library Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 07/2002 EAD tagging 2002. ENG Vieillot Copper Plates of Birds Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 07/2002Cataloging made possible by The Getty Grant Program. Coll. 69 Vieillot, L.P. (Louis Pierre), 1748-1831 Copper plates of birds1800-1802 15 items Ewell Sale Stewart Library, Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway Philadelphia, PA 19103-1101

Louis Pierre Vieillot (1748-1831), a French naturalist, was one of the first ornithologists to stress the importance of observing the life histories and habits of birds in order to understand their positions in a classification scheme. His recognition of differences in plumage among members of the same species, between the sexes, and between adult and immature birds was almost unique at that time. Vieillot spent ten years or more in North America and made substantial contributions to early American descriptive ornithology. He published a useful but unfinished work of twenty-two parts, in three formats, entitled Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de l'Amerique septentrionale (1807-1808?).

Jean Baptiste Audebert (1759-1800), born in Rochefort, France, was a notable miniaturist who developed a technique of colour printing using oil-based inks. Aside from illustrating birds for Oiseaux dorés, he has illustrated botanical texts, and monkeys for Histoire Naturelle des Singes et des Makis, also with Vieillot.

The Oiseaux dorés ou á Reflets Métalliques is a two-volume set of 190 engraved plates, with captions in gold and some colors in the plates heightened with gold. It was published 1802 in Paris.

Includes 11 copper printing plates and 4 engravings (probably trial or artist proofs). The engraved copper plates were used to print illustrations for Oiseaux dores ou a Reflets Metalliques, by J.B. Audebert and L.P. Vieillot, Paris: Desray, 1802. Only 11 of the copper printing plates exist in this collection, but when Maximilian, Prinz von Wied (1782-1867) visited the community at New Harmony, Indiana in 1832, he noted that William Maclure (1763-1840) had all Audebert and Viellot's plates of ornithological work with him. Currently, the location of the remaining plates is unknown.

In his introduction to volume 1 of this work, the publisher gives credit to Audebert as the artist and person responsible for innovations in publishing colored works so that the luster of the iridescent feathers could be shown. When Audebert died in 1800 before the work was completed, it was Louis Pierre Vieillot, using Audebert's notes and drawings, who engraved the plates and prepared most of the text for the volumes.

Consists of two series:

Plates from Volume 1, Histoire Naturelle et Générale des Colibris, Oiseaux-Mouches, Jacamars et Promerops. Plates from Volume 2, Histoire Naturelle et Générale des Grimpereaux et des Oiseaux de Paradis. BirdsPrinting plates--19th centuryBook illustrations--19th centuryIllustrations--19th centuryScientific illustrations--19th centuryEngravings--French--19th centuryEngravings--France--19th century Ornithological illustrations--19th centuryAudebert, J.B. (Jean Baptiste), 1759-1800Maclure, William, 1763-1840

Information on reproduction rights and services available in the library or on the web at http://www.ansp.org/library/reproductions.php.

Cite as: Collection 69. Vieillot Copper Plates of Birds. Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.

Presented by William Maclure in 1835, as part of his library.

Finding aid created by Mary Hammer, 2002.

Plates from Volume 1, Histoire Naturelle et Générale des Colibris, Oiseaux-Mouches, Jacamars et Promerops Plate 2Le colibri-topaze mâle. 1 printing plate : copper; 30 x 24 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a leafy branch.

Plate 8Le grand promerops. 1 printing plate : copper ; 52 x 33 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a limb.

Plates from Volume 2, Histoire Naturelle et Générale des Grimpereaux et des Oiseaux de Paradis Plate 1L'Emeraude. 1 printing plate : copper 30 x 24 cm.

Depicts bird perched on a limb.

Plate 1a-cL'Emeraude. 3 prints : engraving; plate mark 30 x 24 cm.

Depicts bird perched on a limb.

Artists' or trial proofs.

Plate 4Le magnifique. 1 printing plate : copper ; 30 x 24 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a limb.

Plate 5Le manucode. 1 print : engraving; plate mark 30 x 24 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a limb.

Printed in brown ink.

Artists' or trial proofs.

Plate 6Le sifilet. 1 printing plate : copper ; 30 x 24 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a branch.

Plate 7Le superbe. 1 printing plate : copper ; 30 x 24 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a limb.

Plate 8Le hausse-col doré. 1 printing plate : copper ; 52 x 33 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a limb.

Plate 9Le hausse-col doré. 1 printing plate : copper ; 52 x 33 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a limb.

Plate 12Le paradis orangé né. 1 printing plate : copper ; 30 x 24 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a limb.

Plate 15[Detail of plate 14]. 1 printing plate : copper ; 52 x 33 cm.

Detail of tail feather.

Plate 16Le parkinson j' âge. 1 printing plate : copper ; 52 x 33 cm.

Depicts the bird perched on a limb.