Ruby-throated Hummingbird Audubon Print, plate 42 from Princeton Audubon.

Princeton Audubon produces the world's only direct camera edition of this image. This limited edition print is numbered 925/1500.

Measures 26 1/4 x 39 1/4 inches

"In order to create this spectacular print, we needed to purchase the actual original. Measuring more than two feet by three feet, the birds are the same size as in life.

Princetons began with the purchase of the actual originals which were physically used in the production process. A giant camera with film the same size as the print took a direct-capture picture of the original, and this exact image was transferred directly to the metal printing plates. There are no other Audubon facsimiles which match the quality of Princeton prints.

Our prints have this embossed seal at the lower right of the paper and are pencil-numbered in the lower left under the printed script.

Printing specifications:

Princeton Audubon Double Elephant Edition •Double elephant (life size - 26 1/4 x 39 1/4) •Limited edition of 1500. •Pencil-numbered and embossed with the Princeton Audubon Limited seal. •Up to 11 color plates used. •Specially developed fade-proof inks. Absolute color fidelity to the actual original. •Printed on a 300 line. •Very heavy archival paper which is recommended by the Library of Congress for archives and is specially toned to match the actual color of the antique originals.

What is 'double elephant'?

As indicated above, the term 'double elephant' refers to the unusual (double) size of the paper used by Audubon and his engravers (Havell followed Lizars) for the original "Birds of America." The untrimmed paper measured a gargantuan 29 1/2 x 39 1/2 inches! Officially, the proper English measurement for double elephant paper is 40 x 27 inches - untrimmed. Elephant paper is a bit smaller, measuring 28 x 23 inches untrimmed."

- Princeton Audubon