John James Audubon: His Life

"What a strange hobby!" people said, when they heard that John James Audubon spent months in the woods–studying and sketching birds. And, in the early 1800's, it was strange for a man to enter the forests with a sketch pad instead of a hunting rifle.

For although John Audubon ran a frontier store and even taught dancing to support his family, his real home was in the woods, where he observed birds in their natural setting. And when, finally, his collection of drawings was printed, Audubon could share with everyone the wonders of bird life he had discovered in the forests of America. 

From his childhood in France until his death in NYC, here is an artist whose paintings are admired the world over, and whose love of nature has inspired thousands to study and help preserve bird life.