A new exhibition will open on Friday, May 1, 2026, featuring the book, with metre-long pages that take two people to turn.
John James Audubon (1785-1851) produced what is now one of the world’s most expensive books, ‘The Birds of America’, between 1827 and 1838. The 435 plates depict 489 life-sized bird species in hand-coloured etchings, aquatints and engravings.
The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG) has owned Volumes One and Two of the first edition of Audubon’s masterpiece since 1838, containing the first 200 plates.
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The Glasgow-based institution bought those volumes for £48, the equivalent of around £4,600 in today’s money.
Four volumes – each consisting of 435 pages – were auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2010, going for a record-breaking £7.3 million.
Describing the free event, the RCPSG said: “This new exhibition explores the story of our copies, why the College owns them, the conservation and photography work we have undertaken and the wider engagement work we are delivering. It also considers Audubon’s contested legacy. He has been widely celebrated for his stunning achievements in art and ornithology, but he has also been accused of scientific fraud, plagiarism and inaccuracies. He owned enslaved people and supported discredited theories of ‘scientific racism’.
“His passion for nature led to his discovery of new species, which contributed to the knowledge and understanding of bird anatomy, and his books now serve to highlight the ongoing loss of species due to climate change, habitat decline and overhunting.”
The college’s heritage lead Claire McDade told the Scottish Sun: “I remember coming into the library on my first day and being astounded to discover we had this world treasure right here, quietly hiding under a protective blue blanket.
“I made it my mission to tell people what was special about what was fondly known as the bird book.
“Glasgow played a significant role in the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th and early 19th centuries, a period when medicine, science and the study of the natural world were closely connected.
“It was not unusual for books on birds, adorned with intricate drawings of specimens, to appear in medical and scientific libraries during this time.”
Visitors will also have the chance to see a companion exhibition, currently running, that tells the story of the remarkable personal, family, and professional connections that linked Audubon and Charles Darwin.
Their paths first crossed in Edinburgh in 1825, when a sixteen-year-old Darwin came to the city to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
After the launch on Friday, May 1, the exhibition will be available to view every Monday from 2pm-5pm, except for bank holidays, in the RCPSG library at 232-242 St Vincent Street.
Entry to the exhibition is free. Visitors are advised to contact library@rcpsg.ac.uk in advance.
