John James Audubon Birds of America

Often cited as “the most expensive book of all time,” there are still 120 known intact copies of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America published between 1827 & 1838. While there are a handful of books in the world that may be worth more, until 2013 Birds of America held the record for the most money paid at auction for any single printed work about $11.5 million. It is estimated that, five of the 10 most expensive books ever sold were copies of Birds of America. Only about a dozen are owned privately; the rest are in the hands of institutions, many of which display their copies for the public benefit. Pop into SpaceWhale to see our beautiful museum quality prints of JJ Audubon birds of America.