The most unique and complete original set of 435 full sized copperplate engravings of
John James Audubon's "The Birds of America" is owned by Trinity College in Hartford, CT.
The collection has been kept at Trinity's Watkinson Library since being donated in 1900 by a 1834 almnus of the school. It is one of the rarest sets in existence, being once owned by Audubon's original engraver himself.
Trinity College was within easy walking distance for Smarkusz from the Hartford Art School which was in the Wadsworth Atheneum when he began attending the school in 1938. But unfortunately, due to its size and rarity, the 39 x 26 inch "Elephant Folio" print collection of "The Birds of America" was not available for public viewing - spending most of its time cloistered under climate controlled conditions, kept out of the light and out of sight, except for a select and qualified few.
There was however, the wonderful but expensive 1937 Macmillan Edition, released when Vincent was still in High School - a 9" by 12" by 2" thick table book of all 435 photographed illustrations printed as "color plates":
The Birds of America - Audubon, John James
New York: Macmillan, 1937. First edition. full brown morocco ruled in gilt, spine with raised bands, lettered in gilt, inner gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers. Fine. Folio. Illustrated with 500 plates in colour Contains all 435 illustrations from the famed Elephant Folio plus 65 plates from the first Octavo Edition (omitted in later printings of this Macmillan edition), reproduced in the authentic colors of the original prints.
Many of the private schools, libraries, and museums in Connecticut, including the New Britain Public Library and the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, immediately purchased and displayed copies of the book.
While attending Hartford Art School, Vincent enjoyed studying the 1937 Macmillan edition, and he did eventually get to see several of the original "elephant folio" sized engravings at Trinity College when they were first put on public display after World War II.
Color photography and color printing technology revolutionized the art publishing industry in the 1950s, then large format books presenting famous artist's works in full color became available to everyone in the 1960s.
Starting in 2012, the Watkinson Library at Trinity College has been placing a new print from the original collection on display every week - taking 435 weeks to show them all! They will then repeat the series again.
