In the spring of 1843, the well-known naturalist and artist Audubon set off from New York City on his longest and last great expedition of discovery. With a small party of friends, the ‘American Woodsman’, who had recently completed his landmark work The Birds of America, travelled by boat up the Missouri River to the mouth of the Yellowstone. Officially gathering specimens for his newly launched book on American mammals, The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, he was also on the lookout for new birds while fulfilling the quest of a lifetime. Historian Robert Peck is a Fellow of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the author of the BBC book Land of the Eagle: A Natural History of North America. He will describe Audubon’s last great adventure in this illustrated talk.

Volumes from the Library's Rare Book Collection of Audubon's Birds of America will be on display.