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Birds of The West Antique Prints

 Drawn, Lithographed and Hand Colored In the 1850s

These wonderful hand-colored lithographs of Western birds come from the late 1850s Reports of Explorations and Surveys to Ascertain the Most Practicable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. Among the artists and ornithologists who accompanied the Pacific Railroad Expedition and produced these fine lithographs was John Cassin.  Cassin identified, named and catalogued many of these illustrations. He was named curator of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences in 1842 and worked with John Bowen, the lithographer for John James Audubon, and after Bowen's death in 1856 he took over the lithography firm and published many of Audubon's books. His most famous works were Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America (1853-56) so rare that it is only available in reprint, and Birds of North America (1860) These stone lithographs were hand-colored before publication in 1859 so every print is unique.

Each of the prints measure about 8 3/4 x 11 1/4 inches and comes matted in Dove White with a black backing mat sized to a standard frame size of 11 x 14 inches so they can be quickly and inexpensively framed. Each comes protected in a clear plastic bag. The prints are modestly priced for such excellent 150 year old antique hand colored lithographs and the shipping charge on the matted prints is $5.

The first two pictures below show how the prints look framed and matted. These are great prints that will look great on the walls of the finest homes.

Click on the pictures or bird names below for larger pictures, prices and to purchase.


 
Red-shouldered Hawk                                    Little Crane

 


Abert's Towhee


Alpomado Falcon


Arctic Bluebird


Ash-throated Flycatcher


Black Turnstone


Black-tailed Gnatcatcher


Brandt's Cormorant


Brown Towhee


Mottled Grass Plover


California Raven


Cassin's Finch


Cassin's Sparrow

    Go to Birds Page 2

    Go to Birds Page 3