Providence Athenaeum to sell Audubon folio

Faced with the double whammy of rising operating costs and shrinking investments, the venerable Providence Athenaeum has decided to sell one of its most prized possessions: a rare folio edition of John James Audubon's Birds of America.

The Athenaeum can still back out of the deal, provided it raises enough money from other sources to meet its obligations. Otherwise, the folio, which is in mint condition and has been part of the Athenaeum's collection since the early 19th century, will be sold on Oct. 14 at Christie's auction house in New York City.

Based on a similar sale three years ago, Christie's expects the folio to fetch $5 million to $8 million. . .

Birds of America is Audubon's masterpiece, a collection of 435 hand-colored prints that pushed the matter-of-fact techniques of scientific illustration into the realm of fine art. Begun in London in 1827, Birds was eventually sold in two editions -- a large-format set known as the Elephant Folio and a smaller set known as the Royal Octavo Edition.

The Athenaeum, which was founded in 1753 as a private members-supported lending library, owns one of each. . .

Yet even if the folio is sold, it won't be the end of Audubon in Rhode Island.
The Athenaeum will still have its octavo edition. Meanwhile, the Athenaeum's College Hill neighbor, the John Hay Library, owns another Elephant Folio edition of Birds. . .

The Athenaeum also faces some major home-repair problems. Last summer, a routine inspection uncovered serious structural damage to the rear wall of the Athenaeum's 1838 Greek Revival headquarters on Benefit Street.

"Some of the timber supports at the back of the building had given way," says board president Susan Kertzer. "As a result, the only thing holding up the walls were the stacks of books we have in that part of the building. Our books literally saved us."

From the Providence Journal. Here is a link to the Athenaeum website.

UPDATE: While the overwhelming majority of Athenaeum members have come out in support of the sale, a handful of diehards are now suing the Athenaeum leadership -- ostensibly to save the institution from its own members. But who will save the Athenaeum from its saviors?

Posted by David on March 6, 2003 9:38 PM