The Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Princeton Audubon Double Elephant Edition •Double elephant (life size - 26 1/4 x 39 1/4) •Limited edition of 1500. •Pencil-numbered and embossed with the Princeton Audubon Limited seal. •Up to 11 color plates used. •Specially developed fade-proof inks. Absolute color fidelity to the actual original. •Printed on a 300 line. •Very heavy archival paper which is recommended by the Library of Congress for archives and is specially toned to match the actual color of the antique originals. •Registered to purchaser. •As permanently displayed at The Royal Society of London, to which Audubon belonged as a Fellow.
About the image itself ...
These birds were probably painted in Louisiana c. 1825.
Hummingbirds, found only in the New World, fascinated Americans and Europeans of Audubon's day. To gratify this widespread curiosity with a number of views of the diminutive ruby-throat, he placed ten of them together, although in nature they are too pugnacious to associate this closely.
He spoke glowingly of this bird of eastern North America: "No sooner has the returned sun again introduced the vernal season, and caused millions of plants to expand their leaves and blossoms to the genial beams, than the little Hummingbird is seen advancing on fairy wings, carefully visiting every opening flower cup." And Frank M. Chapman, in his Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America, wrote, "The Ruby-throat needs no song. Its beauty gives it distinction, and its wings make music."
