AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES Autograph letter signed ("John J. Audubon," with flourish), incorporating a list of 54 arctic bird species, TO THE ARCTIC EXPLORER CAPTAIN JAMES CLARKE ROSS, Edinburgh, 7 June 1835. 2 pages, large folio, 417 x 258mm. (16 3/8 x 10 3/16 in.), address leaf in Audubon's hand, one word smudged, remnants of red wax seal, seal hole neatly patched . AUDUBON IN QUEST OF ARCTIC BIRDS A typically importunate letter, written towards the end of publication of his Birds of America , in which the ornithologist requests from Ross (1800-1862), the celebrated Scottish-born arctic explorer, observations and anecdotes pertaining of various arctic bird species: "With your good will, I must take the liberty of sending you, a long list [written on the verso] of the names of such Birds as may have come under your immediate consideration, whilst in the Northern regions and during your late most valuable voyages towards the North Pole. Any little anecdotes connected with any of these, will prove of great importance to me...Should I have omitted some names of Birds which you may have either seen or procured in those frozen climes,...subjoin your observations of them...the number already given...for the sake of orinthology !..." Audubon requests a copy of Ross's Appendix to a recent account of his voyage, but confesses he would rather have it "in your own handwriting! ....I shall begin printing in about 3 weeks...and should like to enliven my Biographies of the Feathered inhabitants of the air...with such of your valuable anecdotes as you feel good enough to favour me with..." On the second page, Audubon inscribes a remarkably exhaustive list of 54 arctic birds including plovers, rails, snipes, ducks, geese, gulls and guillemots. The list, in tabular form, gives the common name ("Whooping Crane") at the left, the latin name to the left. In a few entries the artist has added comments: "Anything respecting any of the Cormorants will be very acceptable." The right-hand margin contains comments in another hand (probably Ross's?) such as "very abundant," "not seen," or "Greenland only."
AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES Autograph letter signed ("John J. Audubon," with flourish), incorporating a list of 54 arctic bird species, TO THE ARCTIC EXPLORER CAPTAIN JAMES CLARKE ROSS, Edinburgh, 7 June 1835. 2 pages, large folio, 417 x 258mm. (16 3/8 x 10 3/16 in.), address leaf in Audubon's hand, one word smudged, remnants of red wax seal, seal hole neatly patched . AUDUBON IN QUEST OF ARCTIC BIRDS A typically importunate letter, written towards the end of publication of his Birds of America , in which the ornithologist requests from Ross (1800-1862), the celebrated Scottish-born arctic explorer, observations and anecdotes pertaining of various arctic bird species: "With your good will, I must take the liberty of sending you, a long list [written on the verso] of the names of such Birds as may have come under your immediate consideration, whilst in the Northern regions and during your late most valuable voyages towards the North Pole. Any little anecdotes connected with any of these, will prove of great importance to me...Should I have omitted some names of Birds which you may have either seen or procured in those frozen climes,...subjoin your observations of them...the number already given...for the sake of orinthology !..." Audubon requests a copy of Ross's Appendix to a recent account of his voyage, but confesses he would rather have it "in your own handwriting! ....I shall begin printing in about 3 weeks...and should like to enliven my Biographies of the Feathered inhabitants of the air...with such of your valuable anecdotes as you feel good enough to favour me with..." On the second page, Audubon inscribes a remarkably exhaustive list of 54 arctic birds including plovers, rails, snipes, ducks, geese, gulls and guillemots. The list, in tabular form, gives the common name ("Whooping Crane") at the left, the latin name to the left. In a few entries the artist has added comments: "Anything respecting any of the Cormorants will be very acceptable." The right-hand margin contains comments in another hand (probably Ross's?) such as "very abundant," "not seen," or "Greenland only."
_to_my_dear_d5562129g.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
