Guille-Alles Library’s copy of rare book ‘a joy’ for expert
A RENOWNED expert on one of the most valuable books in the world has paid tribute to a copy currently on display at the Guille-Alles Library.
Mark Glancy, former library services manager at National Museums Scotland, is an expert in the work of John James Audubon, the man behind The Birds of America, one of the rarest books in the world.
It was printed in instalments between 1827 and 1838, and contains 435 life-size watercolours of North American birds, all reproduced from hand-engraved plates, and is considered to be the archetype of wildlife illustration.
No more than 120 copies of the book exist today and only 49 original bound copies remain, with first editions being valued at £8-10m.
‘In the 13 years of my career studying this book, this is the first copy of this particular edition I have seen. It is in remarkable condition, which is even more impressive still, as so few of the bound books remain today,’ said Mr Glancy.
During his visit, Mr Glancy hosted a private talk with exhibition lead partners, BDO, before delivering a presentation to the public about the intricacies needed to produce such a book and on the life of Audubon.
He also spoke on how the copy housed at the library is even rarer than the original first editions due to it being a Bien Edition, which followed 20 years after the original book. Fewer than 100 were printed, and it is thought that fewer than 70 survive today. The Bien Edition is not as valuable as the original but it is rarer.
‘To be able to closely see the detail in the chromolithography, the method used to print the artwork in this particular edition, is a joy to me,’ he said.
‘The Bien Edition was published to help relieve the Audubon family of financial trouble, but it heralded the start of even more. The outbreak of the American Civil War meant the end of production of the edition after only 150 plates had been printed, with only 70 subscribers signed up. With this in mind, to have your edition so accessible is really special, and I thank the Guille-Alles Library for hosting me so generously.’
Every bird in the book is illustrated life-size, so the finished version was enormous, with the pages, known as double elephant folios, almost a metre high.
The Birds of America has been a feature of the library’s Boundless Curiosity exhibition, which details the library’s history and the lives of the founding fathers Thomas Guille and Frederick Alles.
Entry to the exhibition, which runs until Saturday 21 January, is free.
