Page 20 - JOA_ 0720_ONLINE_REV

]É{Ç ]tÅxá Afor understanding by the work of scientists who have gone before
s a career biologist, I have spent a lifetime looking at the beauty
and beastliness of the natural world. I have benefited in my quest

me and recorded their careful observations of nature as they have
endeavored to reveal its mysteries. Today, a plethora of technological
gadgetry aids us in our explorations, but there was a time, just a century
or two ago, when all science was performed with laborious hand
recording and physical pursuits taken by those going into nature to try
to uncover its secrets and majesty. Such was the mission of the
TâwâuÉÇ

T f{ÉÜà exyÄxvà|ÉÇ ÉÇ

[|á _|yx tÇw jÉÜ~á

by Pat Raynock, Biologist and Audubon Collector

John James Audubon, Self-portrait, 1822-23

naturalists of the 18th and 19th centuries – to go into the unexplored
regions of the world and to document species to record our earliest
baselines of biological diversity. Some naturalists were driven by
personal curiosity, some by religious fervor to document creatures to
the glory of God, and some driven by the enticement of financial
reward. But one thing they all had in common was a passion for nature,
a passion to record and document the exotic creatures inhabiting the
newly opened up regions of the world. One such naturalist was John
James Audubon.

The Life and Times of Audubon
Much has been written about Audubon's entrepreneurial endeavors
to produce a public record of the birds and mammals of North
America, but perhaps less focus has been cast on his passion and
obsession with this documentation. Although born the illegitimate
son of a French sea captain in 1785 and sent to America to avoid
entanglement in the French Revolution as a young man, by the time
of his death in 1851, Audubon had become this country’s leading
wildlife artist.
As a young adult living in America, Audubon presented himself as a
rugged adventurer and naturalist, and although he had no formal
training in drawing or painting, he portrayed himself as an
\Ç Åç wxxÑxáà àÜÉâuÄxá? \ yÜxÖâxÇàÄç accomplished artist, and while wandering the woods drawing birds, he
supported himself drawing portraits and genre art for patrons met
ãÉâÄw ãÜxÇv{ ÅçáxÄy yÜÉÅ à{x ÑxÜáÉÇá during his treks. As his skill at observation, drawing, and documenta-
tion of birds grew, Audubon was drawn deeper into the wilderness areas
tÜÉâÇw Åx tÇw Üxà|Üx àÉ áÉÅx áxvÄâwxw ÑtÜà of America as he looked for more species. Unable to interest himself in
training for a traditional trade, and failing at a few business endeavors,
he abandoned his wife and young family for years at a time while
Éy ÉâÜ ÇÉuÄx yÉÜxáàáA „ ]É{Ç ]tÅxá TâwâuÉÇ following his passion for drawing birds. His loving and tolerant wife
supported the family by teaching piano while he traveled the country,
mounting expeditions to the far southern and northern territories.

18 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles