Itzhak Perlman: American Masters

John James Audubon: Drawn From Nature

Season 20, Episode 4 of 8

In a dramatic, contradictory story, the man who is synonymous with the American wilderness and conservation movement emerges as the man who probably killed more birds than anyone else in history. Energetic, gifted and vain, Audubon was self-taught and self-made, the illegitimate son of a French sea captain and Haitian servant girl. From the Caribbean and the French countryside, he eventually settled in the American south at age 19 and, after failed business efforts and bankruptcy, pursued his true passion - finding, shooting and drawing birds - ultimately realizing his dream of publishing The Birds of America, the monumental collection of 435 life-size prints, now each fetching more than $100,000 at auction. The National Audubon Society has more than a half-million members today and his legacy is ever relevant.

Previously Aired

Day
Time
Channel
4/2/2010
8 p.m.
4/3/2010
1 a.m.
4/4/2010
3 p.m.
4/4/2010
5 p.m.
4/5/2010
4 a.m.
4/9/2010
2 p.m.
1/9/2011
2 p.m.
AZPM is a service of the University of Arizona and our broadcast stations are licensed to the Arizona Board of Regents who hold the trademarks for Arizona Public Media and AZPM. We respectfully acknowledge the University of Arizona is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples.
The University of Arizona