Sotheby’s has called John James Audubon’s Birds of America “incomparably the most important and most beautiful color-plate book ever published.” Tulane University is fortunate to preserve three of the original five volumes and after a two-year Covid hiatus, TUSC has resumed “Flipping the Bird” — weekly turning a page in its John James Audubon Birds of America series. A new page is revealed every Monday, which you are welcome to view on the sixth floor of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. 

Agnieszka Czeblakow, head of research services at Tulane University Special Collections, says the project was spurred by a visit to the Rare Books Department by professor Donata Henry’s ornithology class. While viewing Tulane’s rare ornithology books, a student asked when the Audubon volumes would again be available for viewing. Czeblakow proposed a collaboration with the class, which led to revealing a new Audubon print accompanied by two of Professor Henry’s students presenting a brief lecture about the bird depicted in the hand-colored print. 

Starting in the fall, this collaboration will continue with monthly lectures to which everyone will be invited. Meanwhile, please visit the sixth floor of Howard-Tilton Memorial Library for the weekly “Flipping the Bird.”