Plate 276, King Duck, Audubon Amsterdam Limited Edition Print

This print has sold. "King Duck", originally designed & published for John James Audubon's Birds of America, Plate #276.  Large, Double-Elephant sized like the Havell originals, this print measures 26 ½ in. by 39 ½ in. This facsimile is from the “Amsterdam” Limited Edition Set.  This print is in excellent condition.  There are no binding marks, therefore it’s from a set that was loose.
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Amsterdam Limited Edition Audubon Prints

Plate 276 King Duck from "Birds of America" by John James Audubon

The Audubon Amsterdam Edition (1971-1972) represents the first full reproduction of each folio from the Original “Birds of America” Havell Edition (1826-1838).  This modern set was also printed in the same double elephant size as the original Havell’s measuring 26 1/2” x 39 ½”. The Amsterdam Edition is one of the most collected series within the realm of modern Audubon reproductions.  Only 250 copies were issued.  Some sets were bound into books while the remaining sets were sold as loose sets.  The absence of binding marks is the only way to determine if the print originated from a loose set. The prints were made using a photolithography process onto specially crafted paper. The paper selected used a 100% unbleached rag.  G. Schut & Zonen, a paper maker established in 1625 provided the paper stock and bears the watermark “G. Schut & Zonen ® Audubon” along the edge of the paper (see below).  The paper was toned slightly yellow and resembles the look and feel of the paper used in the original Havell edition.  Also, surrounding each image is a false plate mark. In summary, various factors such as the low limited set of 250, the efforts used to create true facsimiles of the original Havell’s through the use of toned paper, image size and plate-marks make this a very popular edition to appreciators of Audubon’s artistic merits and collectors alike.