Before Audubon: The Life and Work of Alexander Wilson
Member meeting, Wells Reserve at Laudholm
We laud John James Audubon for his remarkable work painting and describing all American bird species known in his era, but he was not the first person to undertake such a project. In this program Paul Wells of West Kennebunk will present an overview of the life of Alexander Wilson, whose own efforts to compile a comprehensive survey of American birds immediately preceded Audubon’s, and have been forever overshadowed by them. Wells will illustrate his talk with examples of Wilson’s art, as well as brief musical excerpts of tunes that Wilson — who is known to have played the flute — might have known.