I know you lot have got a few bob so I’m sure you’ll be bidding on this copy of Audobon’s Birds of America, here’s some of the hand-painted, life-size illustrations http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9262000/9262890.stm and a link to Sotheby’s http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/06/5595484-sotheby-auction-of-audubons-birds-of-america- for some more info. They are extraordinarily beautiful and some of the species are now extinct, not helped by the fact that Audobon first shot the birds, then had them stuffed before he was able paint them.
I know these pictures well - they are beautiful. Bought a copy of the book for my husband when we went to see some of the originals in the museum in New York.