✨ Happy 4th of July! ✨ Here we have the second edition printing of the Declaration of Independence;

✨ Happy 4th of July! ✨ Here we have the second edition printing of the Declaration of Independence; the most accurate and beautiful early printing of the founding document of the United States. The copper plate for this printing was commissioned in 1820 by William Stone under the sponsorship of the Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, who was keen to create a facsimile of the original engrossed document, which was already beginning to show signs of deterioration. This was a sagacious course of action, as the engrossed copy continued to suffer through wear, exposure to sunlight and poor restoration, so much so that it is now barely legible. Stone’s copper plate was completed in 1823 and 200 copies were printed on vellum. This exact facsimile is the source for most subsequent reproductions of the Declaration. In 1833 Peter Force received authorisation from Congress to reuse the plate to produce this printing of the Declaration as part of his “American Archives” which published, often for the first time, texts from the founding of the nation. The multi-talented Force, was an archivist, editor, historian and politician. He also served in the War of 1812. He is best known for “American Archives”, which he operated for twenty years, until it was cancelled in 1853 by then Secretary of State William Marcy. Force’s collection was subsequently sold to the Library of Congress. -- source link

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