Toronto Public Library is pleased to announce, John J. Audubon’s Birds of America, a spectacular new exhibit at the TD Gallery featuring life-sized images of birds.
In the 1820s, American naturalist John James Audubon set out to paint all of the birds in North America, creating one of the most important, and beautiful, books on natural history ever published.
The exhibit presents a rare opportunity to see a sampling of images from the library’s rare double-elephant folio edition of Audubon's Birds of America - one of only five copies in Canada. The folio owes its enormous size to the fact that Audubon insisted every bird be illustrated life-size.
Original hand-painted engravings are grouped by habitat and displayed with quotations from Audubon's field notes to highlight the artist’s ground-breaking approach of depicting birds in life-like poses in their natural habitat.
Interested in learning more? Guided tours and free talks take a deeper look Audubon's life and process, as well as the exciting birding opportunities here in Toronto.
Generously sponsored by TD Bank Group, John J. Audubon’s Birds of America is the latest exhibit at the library’s TD Gallery, located on the main floor of the Toronto Reference Library. The show opens Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 9 a.m. and runs until Sunday, November 29, 2015.
What: John J. Audubon’s Birds of America
When: September 26 to November 29, 2015
Where: TD Gallery, Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street – Main Level
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Exhibit Highlights:
- A selection of beautifully engraved, hand-coloured plates from the library’s double-elephant folio edition of Birds of America.
- Evocative quotations from Audubon's field notes detailing the habits and habitats of the birds on display.
- Interactive touchscreens where visitors can video and hear the calls of Audubon's birds in the wild, and explore many more images from Birds of America.
Media Preview:
Members of the media are invited for a pre-opening tour between 2 and 4 pm on Thursday, September 24, 2015. Please contact Sumaiya Ahmed at 416-393-7181 or sahmed@torontopubliclibrary.ca to reserve a spot.
Electronic images of gallery material are available upon request.
Related Programming:
Audubon's Aviary: Then and Now
An illustrated talk by John Robert Carley and Mark Peck. Two local experts in ornithology, field birding, and conservation, speak about Audubon, the history of Toronto birding, and how it all coincides with Toronto’s birding opportunities.
October 13, 2015, 6 p.m.
Toronto Reference Library - Elizabeth Beeton Auditorium
789 Yonge Street
Katherine Govier on the life of John James Audubon
Author Katherine Govier will speak about the Labrador summer in the life of John James Audubon, and how the double-elephant portfolio of Birds of America owned by The Toronto Public Library inspired her novel, Creation.
November 11, 2015, 2 p.m
Toronto Reference Library - Elizabeth Beeton Auditorium
789 Yonge Street
Free Guided Tours of John J. Audubon’s Birds of America
September 29, October 20, and November 10, 2015
Tours begin at 2 p.m.
Toronto Reference Library – TD Gallery
789 Yonge Street
About the TD Gallery in the Toronto Reference Library
A relaxed, contemporary exhibit space at the heart of the city, the TD Gallery at the Toronto Reference Library is a space for Torontonians and visitors alike to connect with our collective cultural memory. Stories are told and histories explored through rare and unique items – including art, manuscripts, sculpture, books and artifacts – curated from over four million pieces collected by the library since 1884. Many exhibits also feature complementary contributions from cultural and community partners.
About TD Bank Group
TD Bank Group invests in communities in order to effect positive change in the places where it operates and where its clients and employees live and work. In 2014, TD donated over $82 million to support community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, TD focuses on education and financial literacy, creating opportunities for young people and the environment. For more information, please visit www.td.com/corporate-responsibility.
About Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library is one of the world's busiest urban public library systems. Every year, 18 million people visit our branches in neighbourhoods across the city and borrow more than 32 million items. To learn more about Toronto Public Library, visit our website at torontopubliclibrary.ca or call Answerline at 416-393-7131. To get the most current updates on what's happening at the library, follow us on Twitter @torontolibrary.
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Media Contact/Media Image Reproduction:
Sumaiya Ahmed, 416-393-7181, sahmed@torontopubliclibrary.ca