Audubon and his works are important subjects in the study of the history of natural history. This study traces Audubon's transformation from a natural history enthusiast into a naturalist, revealing how non specialists could participate in natural history research and achieve success. By comparing Audubon's natural history works with those of the professional scholar Coenraad Jacob Temminck, this study demonstrates that field-based observation to accessibility and public engagement were distinctive features of Audubon's work and important reasons for his success. From an academic perspective, the study examines Audubon's pivotal role in early American ornithological research; from a public perspective, it discusses his significant influence on American public interest in bird observation and conservation. Finally, this study uses Audubon and his works to illuminate aspects of Western natural history in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

John James Audubon  /  The Birds of America  /  natural history  /  naturalist  /  ornithological research