JOHN JAMES AUDUBON ~ PAINTER ~ ORNITHOLOGIST 874 Plate Block of 4 x 1?? US Postage Stamps

On April 8, 1940 in St. Francisville, LA; the Post Office Department issued this 1 stamp depicting John James Audubon, as part of the American Scientists series. Audubon had a dream of drawing each American bird in "its natural size and coloring." He was a French-American ornithologist, naturalist, hunter, and painter. In "The Birds of America" he painted, catalogued, and described the birds of North America in a form far superior to what had gone before, capturing 1,065 individual birds on 435 hand-colored plates. In his outsize personality and achievements, he seemed to represent the new American nation of the United States. Audubon was born on April 26, 1785 and died on January 27, 1851 at the age of 65