I found recently another example of postcard art from the National Audubon Society.
There were local Audubon Societies in many places, and there were many state societies.
The National Association of Audubon Societies coordinated the work of all the organizations and was headquartered in New York City, at 1000 Fifth Avenue.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audubon
The National Association published “Bird Cards”, postcard-sized guides to hundreds of birds in North America.
The images are grouped in categories, fifty bird pictures in each set.
The “Wood Thrush” is from the set, “Summer Birds of Eastern North America”.
Each set of Bird Cards included a pamphlet describing the mission and successes of the Audubon Society.
(I have not found one of these pamphlets in my searches of dusty boxes of paper ephemera.)
A full set of the cards from this series is collected in the John Hay Library of Brown University.
From the John Hay Library description (the website will not permit me to link it to this post):
Audubon Bird Cards, Set No. 3
New York: National Association of Audubon Societies, 1974
“On display in the second floor landing case of the John Hay Library, this box of cards depicting fifty summer birds of eastern North America was the third in a reissued series that also contained winter birds (set one), and spring birds (set two). The front of each card features a masterful color portrait by Allan Brooks (1869–1946). The back contains the bird’s common name, as well as its description, classification, scientific name and migration range.
Special Collections has myriad Audubon-related treasures, including Bird Cards sets one and two (1929)…”
In the Library collection, the artist is identified as Allen Brooks (1869-1946).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Brooks
These images were widely-collected, and they are not rare.
Because they were not as portable as a Field Guide, the postcards were more likely to be studied by “birders” at home.
Thus, most of the collected postcards are in very good condition.
In 1929, the full set of fifty pictures cost $1.50 – twice the cost of most postcards.
The wood thrush is a ground-feeding bird that scavenges the floor of dense forests.
I have not seen one for many years, although I believe they have been found in Central Park.
The wood thrush can live in forests on most of the East Coast, but they like solitude.
In an age in which many species of birds are threatened and challenged, we can appreciate the educational and conservationist ethos of the Audubon Society.
From the Hay Library description:
“Founded in 1905, the National Association of Audubon Societies for the Protection of Wild Birds and Animals eventually broadened its mission to include the conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems and habitats “for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.”
