In Congress, July 4, 1776. A Declaration By the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress Assembled
Chicago: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co, 1970. Facsimile Broadside. Folio. Very Good. Item #13353
On July 2, 1776, in the throes of revolution, the statesmen of the American Colonies, meeting in secret at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, voted to break the shackles of allegiance to the British Crown and become free and independent states.
A committee of the 2nd Continental Congress, primarily Thomas Jefferson, had been working diligently for nearly a month crafting a document to declare to the world its intentions. On July 4, two days after voting for Independence and still behind closed doors, the Congress unanimously approved its Declaration, 12-0.
Congress immediately ordered approximately 200 copies to be printed by John Dunlap, official printer of Congress. Throughout the evening of the 4th and into the wee hours of the 5th, Dunlap set the type and printed the very first printings of the Declaration of Independence.
Known today as Dunlap Broadsides, these original documents are incredibly rare and command nine figures at auction. Only 26 known whole or fragmented copies exist today.
One of those copies, known today as the 'Lost Copy' was discovered in 1968 among the backroom remains of Leary's Bookstore in Philadelphia after its permanent closing.
This copy was sent to auction and its new owners commissioned R.R. Donnelley to create an exact replica of the original.
Donnelley took the opportunity to show off its expertise in letterpress printing and no expense was spared. Type was cast and set, laid paper matching 18th-century techniques was used, tinted to match the original and the company's DeepTone color process exactly matched every stain and imperfection. Even the tiny nicks and dings along the paper edges were re-created, as were the many hand-press imperfections from the 1776 original.
It is not known how many Donnelley printed, but none were printed for the general public and, as such, are scarce on the market.
The Donnelley Broadside remains today the most accurate reproduction ever created from an original Dunlap and this piece would make a fine centerpiece to any American Revolution or Declaration collection.
Measuring 15 3/4" X 19 1/2", this historic piece is perfect for framing an display.
Two small closed separations, not original to the reproduction, of 1/2-inch along the lower edge and 2" along the left side.
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