1977-1982. Twenty three pieces of correspondence (14 typed letters signed; 7 typed notes signed; plus two pieces unsigned) from Peterson to his publisher, before and after the publication of the fourth edition (1980) of A Field Guide to the Birds: A Completely New Guide to All the Birds of Eastern and Central North America, which was an update to the editions of 1934, 1939, and 1947. Peterson Field Guides were a standard reference in the 20th century, with millions of copies sold of its 50+ titles, as the brand eventually reached out well beyond birds. This file shows Peterson deep in the details of updates (tree-ducks are now whistling ducks); his competition (the Audubon guide); marketing (competitive pricing; expanding to outlets such as nature centers); layout (the endpapers, the maps, the index and the pagination); the subtitle ("all species east of the Rockies" would not be correct because "we did not include those south Texas species that get into the Rio Grande Valley where there is a strong western intrusion..."). Post-publication, the corrections continue: on page 193, the second hairy woodpecker is described as a male, but needs the words, "southern form." And in 1981: "Now is the time to remove the words completely new from the jacket...it would become ridiculous if we continued..." The later letters are concerned with royalty payments ($41,000); and future projects, such as an autobiography and perhaps a book about the development of birding in America, "showing what has happened between Audubon's time and today." Peterson's autobiography was never completed, but he does give it a title here: Free as The Birds. The file also contains two pieces of correspondence from his wife, Virginia Marie Peterson, one describing the maps that she and Roger created for the book, along with three retained copies of letters to RTP and one internal memo. Peterson -- a birder and an artist to begin with -- became a virtual institution over the years and a major figure in the environmental and conservation movements. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- the nation's highest civilian honor -- and his art was exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution, among other places. The lot is fine. [#036728] $10,000