First miniature printing of the Declaration of Independence, engraved with a decorative border of the 13 state seals and a portrait of George Washington.
Near fine.
Price: $3,200.00
Following a surge in public patriotism after the War of 1812, ceremonial broadside printings of the Declaration of Independence began to appear with greater frequency. No longer purely a means of disseminating vital information, these large broadside productions were intended to celebrate the founding document. Especially notable among them are the decorative, more stylized efforts of printers and engravers like Benjamin Owen Tyler (1818), John Binns (1819), and Eleazar Huntington (1820s), as well as the more faithful facsimile done by William Stone (1823). This 1836 miniature version, the first documented in Bidwell's AMERICAN HISTORY IN IMAGE AND TEXT, features a pictorial border reminiscent of Binns. It clearly follows in this same tradition of patriotism-cum-art and would have offered a more easily displayable, portable, and affordable option to the public. Institutionally scarce; OCLC notes only three holdings. An important production of this landmark in US history, in nicer condition than often seen.
Read more: Bidwell, American History in Image and Text, 15; Nicholson, "The Stone Engraving: Icon of the Declaration," Prologue Magazine, 2003, archives.org; Kratz, "Binns Engraving of the Declaration of Independence," Pieces of History, 2022, archives.org.
Boston: L. H. Bridgham, 1836. 5.75'' x 4.5''. Engraved broadside on white coated cardstock. Printed recto only. Trace marginal toning and soil to recto, light scattered foxing and a bit of rubbing to verso. Crisp.
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