海角大神

Although there鈥檚 no official word from the publishing industry about what ranks as the most expensive new retail book of 2013, here鈥檚 a leading candidate: a new edition of John James Audubon鈥檚 鈥淭he Birds of America鈥� that W.W. Norton & Company released this autumn for a list price of $350.

Little wonder that Norton鈥檚 Audubon book carries such a handsome price tag. 鈥淭he Birds of America鈥� has a long history of sticker shock. Audubon first issued his lavish collection of 435 bird prints in four volumes between 1827 and 1838. The books were massive, with pages more than two feet wide and more than a yard high, a design meant to accommodate Audubon鈥檚 desire to depict even big birds life-size. Because of their scale, and the exacting production values, Audubon鈥檚 first edition of 鈥淭he Birds of America鈥� costs $1,000 a set 鈥� about $23,000 in today鈥檚 dollars. Only large institutions and the very wealthy could afford that edition but a smaller, cheaper edition served a broader audience, helping to establish Audubon鈥檚 fortune.

After Audubon鈥檚 death in 1851, his son, John Woodhouse Audubon, in collaboration with New York printer Julius Bien, attempted to publish another version of 鈥淭he Birds of America鈥� using a new printing technology called chromolithography. He hoped the emerging technique would bring another dimension to his father鈥檚 art. But the Civil War disrupted the project, which eventually ended in financial ruin. Only 150 plates were produced.

This fall, Norton published 鈥淛ohn James Audubon: The Birds of America: The Bien Chromolithographic Edition,鈥� billed as the first complete reproduction of the Bien chromolithographs. Joel Oppenheimer, an art conservator who鈥檚 one of the nation鈥檚 foremost Audubon authorities, oversaw the project and wrote the text for the book. 聽

Although not as large as Audubon鈥檚 original edition of 鈥淭he Birds of America,鈥� Oppenheimer鈥檚 version is still a biggie. It weighs 33 pounds, with pages that are more than 20 inches tall and 13 inches wide. The book features blockbuster production values, with designer paper from Italy, where the volume was printed.

At $350, this new Audubon book might, indeed, 聽be the most expensive new retail title of 2014.

But it could also be the most beautiful.

聽Danny Heitman, a columnist for The Advocate newspaper in Louisiana, is the author of 鈥淎 Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House.鈥�