Penn State Series in the History of the Book

A Visual History of America's Founding Document

John Bidwell

• Publisher: Penn State University Press
• Year: 2024
• ISBN:
  9780271098685
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Early American History
• Index: History

Perhaps the single most important founding document of the United States of America, the Declaration of Independence became both a work of art and a mass-market commodity during the nineteenth century. In this book, graphic arts historian John Bidwell traces the fascinating history of Declaration prints and broadsides and reveals the American public's changing attitudes toward this iconic text.

The new and improved intaglio, letterpress, and lithographic printing technologies of the nineteenth century led to increasingly elaborate reproductions of the Declaration. Some were touted as precious relics; others were aimed at the bottom of the market. Rival publishers claimed to have produced the definitive visualization of the document, attacking the character and patriotism of other firms even as they promoted their own artistic abilities and attention to detail. Meanwhile, painter John Trumbull attempted to sell subscriptions for an engraved version of his Declaration painting, and John Quincy Adams—then secretary of state—commissioned an official 1823 edition in response to the feuding facsimilists seeking government patronage. Bidwell unravels the intricate web of rivalries surrounding these competing publications.

Featuring a comprehensive checklist of nearly two hundred prints and broadsides drawn from various collections, this engrossing history highlights the proliferation and widespread influence of the Declaration of Independence on American popular culture. It will be equally esteemed by general readers interested in American history, print and autograph collectors, and art and book historians.

Table of contents

• COVER Front
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Evolution of the Text
• Notes to Chapter 1
• Chapter 2: Heroic Engravings
• Notes to Chapter 2
• Chapter 3: Official Facsimiles
• Notes to Chapter 3
• Chapter 4: Group Portraits
• Notes to Chapter 4
• Chapter 5: The Print Trade and the Centennial
• Notes to Chapter 5
• Chapter 6: The Function of Facsimiles
• Notes to Chapter 6
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index