The world’s most expensive bird book? It’s a Double Elephant, apparently…
Colleagues and associates of the Blogbrary will doubtless be aware that he is fabulously wealthy. What they may be unaware of, however, is that that he is something of a `Bexley birder` in his spare time, never happier than splashing through the vales and marshes of our beloved Borough in search of a parakeet (lots at Hall Place), an angry jay (some at St Paulinus churchyard in Crayford), or a furze-wren* (recently sighted in Bexleyheath town centre).
Imagine his delight, then, when he learned recently that the world’s most expensive bird book was about to be put on the market by Sotheby’s….
Audubon’s Birds of America…”I must have it!” I cried, “it’s a snip at £6 million…”
(It’s being sold, apparently, by the family of the late Lord Fermor-Hesketh, a fellow after my own heart who only collected “the very best of the best”).
Haitian born, John James Audubon (1785-1851) is the most famous – and collectable – bird painter in history. He travelled across America, shooting birds, then hanging them on wires prior to painting them full-size…his books, therefore, are “whoppers”, lavishly bound on a huge scale – what we call “Double Elephant Folios”** in the bookbinding trade. Mr Audubon was also something of a rogue, it seems, in his business practices. He would ply his wealthy patrons with booze, before selling them a copy at a huge profit “for the good wine had a most desirous and direct effect upon my client” he confided in his ledger…
Well, dear readers, to cut a long story short…alas, I was unable to ‘rustle up’ the required £6 million, so I turned – naturally – to the online catalogue of my beloved Bexley Libraries; imagine my delight at discovering that we have a copy in stock! Here! In Bexleyheath Central Library! It’s not the original, of course…And you can’t borrow it…And it’s been valued at considerably less than £6 million…But nonetheless, it’s what we in the library trade call “an absolute corker!”
Colleagues and associates of the Blogbrary will doubtless be aware that he is fabulously wealthy. What they may be unaware of, however, is that that he is something of a `Bexley birder` in his spare time, never happier than splashing through the vales and marshes of our beloved Borough in search of a parakeet (lots at Hall Place), an angry jay (some at St Paulinus churchyard in Crayford), or a furze-wren* (recently sighted in Bexleyheath town centre).
Imagine his delight, then, when he learned recently that the world’s most expensive bird book was about to be put on the market by Sotheby’s….
Audubon’s Birds of America…”I must have it!” I cried, “it’s a snip at £6 million…”
(It’s being sold, apparently, by the family of the late Lord Fermor-Hesketh, a fellow after my own heart who only collected “the very best of the best”).
Haitian born, John James Audubon (1785-1851) is the most famous – and collectable – bird painter in history. He travelled across America, shooting birds, then hanging them on wires prior to painting them full-size…his books, therefore, are “whoppers”, lavishly bound on a huge scale – what we call “Double Elephant Folios”** in the bookbinding trade. Mr Audubon was also something of a rogue, it seems, in his business practices. He would ply his wealthy patrons with booze, before selling them a copy at a huge profit “for the good wine had a most desirous and direct effect upon my client” he confided in his ledger…
Well, dear readers, to cut a long story short…alas, I was unable to ‘rustle up’ the required £6 million, so I turned – naturally – to the online catalogue of my beloved Bexley Libraries; imagine my delight at discovering that we have a copy in stock! Here! In Bexleyheath Central Library! It’s not the original, of course…And you can’t borrow it…And it’s been valued at considerably less than £6 million…But nonetheless, it’s what we in the library trade call “an absolute corker!”
And don’t forget, we’ve got a splendid collection of other bird books too…take a gander. Audubon’s book may have cost £6 million, but these are all FREE to borrow! Can you recommend any good bird books to other readers? Let us know, and we’ll Tweet about them.
And, while we’re at it…what’s the most valuable book you’ve ever read? Either financially or emotionally. Just post your comments in the box below.
* The furze wren (Sylvia undata), by the way, is another name for my beloved Dartford Warbler.
** And ‘Double Elephant’ refers to the size of paper…generally 40 X 26.5 inches.
So now you know.
TTFN
TTFN
11 comments:
I'd like to recommend 'How to be a bad Birdwatcher', by Simon Barnes. (I think there is a companion to this title now too, with a CD). Simon Barnes manages to make bird identification less a trial, more a humorous pastime. I can't find this title in Bexley libraries however. Shame.
Set me thinking about Ian Fleming's choice of name for his famous spy...Birds of the West Indies by James Bond.It seems his wife had a copy when he was looking for a name.
Thanks for these comments ~ yes, I like Simon Barnes’ writing too.
We’ve got copies of ‘How to be wild’ in stock, but not the ‘bad birdwatching’ book – but remember, you can always recommend a title online, using the Suggest a book facility; it’s at the top of the main page on Bex-L.
Hope that’s of use.
And re James Bond’s name…Yes – good point. (Imagine if it’d been a book by Bill Oddie…007: Licence to trill?)
There was a double elephant Audubon (facsimile only, obviously!) stashed in an office I used some years ago. I think it was stuck there because nobody could move it!
JR
Stashing elephants in offices is probably wrong.
They may fall foul of some roving tusk force...
I always thought (as a younger child than I am now) that a painting by numbers Audubon would be great - keep the kids happy for hours...
JG
My most valuable book - a gorgeous book of illustrated fairytales my dad bought for my 8th birthday. It's falling apart and looking its age, but still treasured.
Yes, some old childhood favourites do become very treasured books the longer you keep them…I’ve still got my Just So Stories, I Spy Birds, and The Hobbit…all very battered, but never to be thrown out! (Now, if only I could find my lost copy of the Bumper Joke Book!)
As a young teenager I can still vividly recall the devestating moment of realisation that Sherlock Holmes was fictional. I had recieved a copy of of his short stories as a birthday present and adored his incredible intellect. What a detective! I really loved that book. I must have read it 25 times. How naive I must have been to believe he really existed. I never really forgave Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle.
I have still a much treasured copy of Chicken Licken now battered beyond repair but still priceless to me. So many memories there.
Jane
Thank you, both.
Yes, it does seem that the books we had as children seem the most precious to us now.
(Not sure about ‘Chicken Licken’, though, I never really got into that particular story…Still, it does take us nicely back to bird books!)
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