
John James Fraudubon
From The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean by Sam Kean
October 28, 2025 · 18 min · Season 11 · Episode 4
About this episode
This episode explores the deceit behind John James Audubon's fame and the truth about the Bird of Washington.
The eagle that made John James Audubon famous, the Bird of Washington was nothing but an elaborate lie. Fawning biographers have suppressed this fact for years, but careful historical work has unraveled the Audubon legend, and shown that much of his life, and work, was built on deceit. (Part 2 of 2) Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
People in this episode
Host: Sam Kean
Topics covered
- Audubon
- historical deceit
- birdwatching
- biography
- American history
Keywords
- John James Audubon
- Bird of Washington
- historical fraud
- biography
- science history
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Bird of Washington
More episodes of The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean
- NASA’s Unmentionable(s) Adventure · June 9, 2026 · 19 min
- The Pioneers and Vestiges of Evolution · June 2, 2026 · 18 min
- The Angel of the Concentration Camp · May 26, 2026 · 17 min
- The Battery Dope · May 19, 2026 · 19 min
- The Making of the “Flat Earth” Myth · May 12, 2026 · 17 min
- Forensic Pseudoscience · May 5, 2026 · 18 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean podcast page.