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Rare Books

Rare Book Division
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-258-3184
Curator of Rare Books
609-258-9942

About 166 volumes catalogued and are found for the most part in the General Rare Book Collection. Library has many books and manuscripts relating to Audubon. For particulars refer to: Howard C. Rice, "The World of John James Audubon; Catalogue of an Exhibition at the Princeton University Library. 15 May-30 September 1959" published in thePrinceton University Library Chronicle XXI, 1&2 (Autumn, 1959 & Winter, 1959) pp. 9-88. [full text] There is also an earlier version of this text available as a typescript exhibition catalogue. See "An Audubon Anthology" [(ExB) 0639.739 no. 6] [full text].

Library has also a copy of the double elephant folio Birds of America [(Ex) Oversize 8880.134.1860e]. It was received as a gift from Alexander van Rensselaer, Class of 1871, during the academic year 1928-29. The Library also has a group of books from the library of Audubon or his family. See 1964 Princeton University Library Chronicle index for several entries for Audubon. [ full text] See also: Henry Lyttleton Savage, "John James Audubon: A Backwoodsman in the Salon" in the Princeton University Library Chronicle V, 4 (June, 1944) pp. 129-136. [full text]