Birds of America: Royal College to widen access to rare book following grant award 

01 Aug 2024

‘Birds of America’ by John J Audubon is thought to be one of the most important art and natural history works ever created. 

Now a grant from Museum and Galleries Scotland (MGS) is helping the Royal College to maximise access to the book – and its other important collections.  

The book series, printed in gigantic ‘elephant folio’ size, catalogues the various species of birds which Audubon hand painted during his travels across North America. The College bought two of the four books in 1838 for 40 guineas, one of which remains on display in its library. They form part of the College’s collection of paintings and artefacts spanning nearly 425 years.  

College Heritage Lead, Claire McDade said: “We are very grateful to MGS for this Museum Development Fund award.  Our exciting ‘Maximising Audubon’ project will take a holistic approach to making the most of our two incredible volumes of Audubon’s “Birds of America” by conserving, displaying and sharing them more widely with our College members and local communities.  

“This award is really going to help us transform people’s awareness of our College’s heritage collections. Our project will explore Audubon’s artistry and achievement, as well as his darker side as an enslaver of people. We will also use the project to examine climate change and its impact on habitat and biodiversity. We look forward to engaging with local people to explore the natural environment.” 

The project also encompasses the College’s larger commitment to re-examine the complex legacy of its collections as part of the Museum Transformers initiative.  

The College was one of six organisations to share a Museum Development Fund grant, totalling £315,767, for a range of projects that will better connect audiences, increase the resilience of the organisations, and explore untold stories and local identities. The fund is supported by the Scottish Government.   

Angus Robertson, Culture Secretary said: “Scotland’s museums showcase our past and present across a broad range of subjects to our local and international visitors, bringing economic benefits to their wider communities as well as safeguarding our cultural heritage.   

“The Scottish Government is therefore proud to support their ongoing development through this Museums Galleries Scotland funding, and we congratulate the six successful museums as they deliver important projects which celebrate our local identities and community connections.”  

Lucy Casot, CEO, Museums Galleries Scotland said: “We’re delighted to support these six museums to respond to their individual context and develop projects that connect to their local audience and area. These projects reflect the strong ambition within the sector to create museums that are not only financially sustainable and attractive to visitors but that also contribute to their community.”