by We stayed at the campground in the 700-acre John James Audubon State Park in Henderson, Kentucky for several days. While there we were able to do some birding, see the total solar eclipse, and also visit the John James Audubon Museum.
John James Audubon (1785-1851) was an ornithologist, naturalist, and painter, famous for his paintings and prints of birds in America.
Audobon lived in Henderson from 1810 to 1819. The park was created here in the 1930s to commemorate Audubon’s connection to the area.
The park is largely in thanks to the Civilian Conservation Corps. Starting in 1934, more than 200 workers drained swamps, built two lakes, and developed road and trails through the park.
Along picnic shelters, cottages, and a Tea House (now the park office), the beautiful Audubon Museum (see cover photo) were all constructed by the CCC.
The museum has more than 200 items on display, including a few artifacts from his life and many original artworks, along with a complete set of his masterwork The Birds of America.
Audubon’s early adult life involved failed businesses and personal tragedy, when two of his three young children died. At one point he was briefly jailed for unpaid debts. His wife Lucy kept the family afloat by working as a governess, and he supplemented their income by teaching drawing and painting portraits on the street.
When he was around the age of 35, Audubon decided he wanted to paint every bird in North America.
His work was different than anything done before, with vivid and accurate life-like qualities, along with flora and other natural backgrounds.
He sought financial support via subscriptions at home and abroad, which didn’t go quite as well as he hoped.
Eventually, however, he was able to see Birds of America published in London in four full-color volumes beginning in 1827.
The books feature 435 plates of his drawings, and are accompanied by Ornithological Biography, a text with information about the birds’ behaviors.
The book is a marvel, measuring 39.5 inches tall and 26.5 inches wide! Today when complete sets come up in auctions, they sell for as much as $14 million.
