 |
|
| University of Southern Indiana art professor Michael Aakhus used a circular motion to wipe ink across a rare John James Audubon copper plate in preparation of pulling an impression of the plate. | |
Art professor Michael Aakhus pulled an impression from an original Audubon copper printing plate in the Art Studio at the University of Southern Indiana on Thursday, August 1. The plate is part of the collection of the John James Audubon Museum in Henderson, Kentucky. This is the first time an impression has been taken from this plate in over 160 years.
The plate,
a most sought after treasure, is one of only 78 remaining plates of the
original 435 used in the printing of Audubon’s masterpiece, The
Birds ofAmerica. It
is an impression of one male and one female Tell-Tail Godwit or Snipe,
painted in east Florida.
It was acquired
by the Friends of Audubon, a support group for the Audubon Museum, and
the Preston Family Foundation.
The printing
of The Birds of America
was completed in 1839 in London and the plates were sent to New York. The
employees of Robert Havell Jr. of London, the firm involved in The
Birds of America project, were the last to take impressions
of the plate.
 |
| University
of Southern Indiana art professor Michael Aakhus pulled an impression of
the Tell-Tail Godwit or Snipe from a copper plate of John James Audubon’s
print.
|
At the time
of the purchase, the Friends of Audubon requested from Havell descendants
the right to make restrikes from the plate to help replenish their treasury.
Restrikes,
prints pulled from the original copper plates without the input or direct
involvement of Robert Havell Jr. or John James Audubon, have been done
in the past, the most notable are called Alectos. The Alectos were commissioned
by the American Museum of Natural History. Six of the plates in their collection
were re-conditioned and shipped to England where Alecto Press produced
a limited edition of the images. Only five other institutions are known
to have produced restrikes.
Don Boarman,
curator of the Audubon Museum, said the results of this event are encouraging
and may lead to the production and release of the seventh issue of restrikes
from the copper engraving plates.
 |
| Don Boarman, curator of the John James Audubon Museum in Henderson, Kentucky, gives a history of the Audubon copper plate just prior to a pulling of an impression from the plate at the University of Southern Indiana Art Studio. |
The John
James Audubon Museum displays priceless artifacts of Audubon, the premier
natural history and wildlife artist of the 19th century who
lived in Henderson for a number of years. They have a rare edition of The
Birds of America. The copper plate used in today’s restriking
is on display at the park museum.