Plate 45. Traill's Flycatcher 

This is "Plate 45, Traill's Flycatcher" a hand-colored engraving made by John James Audubon in the first half of the 19th century. Audubon's “Birds of America” was not just a collection of images, but a cultural project. In the early 19th century, ornithology was increasingly seen as a field of scientific study. Wealthy patrons and institutions like the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia funded Audubon's research, but his project was also distinctly commercial: prints were sold to a wide public. Consider the politics of imagery in a society still defining its relationship to the natural world. Audubon's detailed depictions contributed to a growing scientific understanding of American birds. But they also reflected an increasing awareness of the impact of westward expansion on native species. Researching the archives of scientific institutions will tell us a lot more about these important contexts.