Audubon in Edinburgh

[Rob MacKillop]

Early 19th-century, John James Audubon came to Edinburgh to try to get support for his monumental drawings/paintings of "every bird species in North America". So, why Edinburgh? There's a great exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland about his trip, and subsequent publications. His drawings are amazing, but what we viewed were the engravings and colouring by specialists in Edinburgh and London. We (wife and I) were knocked out with the quality of work by everyone involved.

And I had to go and spoil it all by shooting in black and white!

 

[Wes Hall]

This...this is where colour shines- but I do like the black and white effect on the owl illustration.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Yes, the owl came out well. I was very impressed with the hand colouring of the originals, and I would never have been happy with a colour rendition with a camera.