410 Deane, Audubon's Copper-plates of 'Birds of America.' [q"^ 



capital review of the work! What a strange world we do learn in! 

 Be sure to let me know about the original drawings at Henry's, 

 if he has finished them, where they are Szc. &c. We all remain 

 as usual with kind good wishes to you all, 



Your friend 



John J. Audubon. 



6 Alva St. 

 [Superscribed] 



Robert Havell Esq. 

 Engraver. 



77 Oxford St. 

 London. 



111. 

 William Home Lizars. 



William Home Lizars, the engraver of the first ten plates of the 

 'Birds of America,' was born about 1787 and died at Edinburgh 

 ]\Iarch 30, 1859. His father was an artist, publisher and engraver 

 of some merit, and several of his paintings are still in the National 

 Gallery of Scotland. After his father's death in 1812, William 

 carried on the business of engraving and copper-plate printing to 

 support his mother and family. 



He learned the art of engraving from his father to whom he was 

 at first apprenticed, and later studied engraving at the Trustees 

 Academy at Edinburgh. He executed numerous plates of Scottish 

 scenery for various publications, and in 1822 made many anatomi- 

 cal plates for his brother John, who had acquired a reputation in 

 that branch of study, but William made his mark as an engraver 

 by his 'Scotch Wedding' and ' Reading the Will,' which were 

 exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1812. Later a co-partnership 

 was formed with his brother Daniel under the firm name of D. and 

 W. H. Lizars, the business being confined to the engraving and 

 printing, as well as the selling of books. I am under many obliga- 

 tions to Mr. A. L. Wilkinson, Windsor, Ontario, for copies of three 

 letters now in his possession, which were written by Audubon to 

 his grandfather, Daniel Lizars, brother and partner of the engraver. 

 On the 27th of October, 1827, Audubon had engaged him to act 



