It is important
we digress here to explain the history and process that virtually eradicated
most of the ink on the one and only engrossed signed Declaration of Independence
that has become our national icon.
By 1820 the
condition of the only signed Declaration of Independence was rapidly
deteriorating. In that year John Quincy Adams, then Secretary of State,
commissioned William J. Stone of Washington to create exact copies of the
Declaration using a "new" Wet-Ink Transfer process. Unfortunately this
Wet-Ink Transfer greatly contributed to the degradation of the only engrossed
and signed Declaration of Independence ever produced.
On April 24, 1903
the National Academy of Sciences reported its findings, summarizing the
physical history of the Declaration:
"The instrument has suffered very seriously from the very harsh treatment to
which it was exposed in the early years of the Republic. Folding and rolling
have creased the parchment. The wet press-copying operation to which it was
exposed about 1820, for the purpose of producing a facsimile copy, removed a
large portion of the ink. Subsequent exposure to the action of light for more
than thirty years, while the instrument was placed on exhibition, has resulted
in the fading of the ink, particularly in the signatures. The present method of
caring for the instrument seems to be the best that can be suggested
The committee does not consider it wise to apply any chemicals with a view to
restoring the original color of the ink, because such application could be but
partially successful, as a considerable percentage of the original ink was
removed in making the copy about 1820, and also because such application might
result in serious discoloration of the parchment; nor does the committee
consider it necessary or advisable to apply any solution, such as collodion,
paraffin, etc., with a view to strengthening the parchment or making it moisture
proof.
The committee is of the opinion that the present method of protecting the
instrument should be continued; that it should be kept in the dark, and as dry
as possible, and never placed on exhibition."
[xxiii]
The Wet-Ink
Transfer Process called for the surface of the Declaration to be moistened
transferring some of the original ink to the surface of a clean copper plate.
Three and one-half years later under the date of June 4, 1823, the National
Intelligencer reported that:
"the City Gazette informs us that Mr. Wm. J. Stone, a respectable and
enterprising (sic) engraver of this City has, after a labor of three years,
completed a facsimile of the Original of the Declaration of Independence, now in
the archives of the government, that it is executed with the greatest exactness
and fidelity; and that the Department of State has become the purchaser of the
plate. The facility of multiplying copies of it, now possessed by the Department
of State will render furthur (sic) exposure of the original unnecessary."
[xxiv]
Declaration of
Independence 1824 Wet Ink Transfer
Courtesy of Stanley L. Klos
Vellum Declaration Of Independence Mark
Courtesy of Stanley L. Klos
On May 26, 1824,
a resolution by the Senate and House of Representatives provided:
"That two hundred copies of the Declaration, now in the Department of State,
be distributed in the manner following: two copies to each of the surviving
Signers of the Declaration of Independence (John Adams, Thomas Jefferson,
Charles Carroll of Carrollton); two copies to the President of the United States
(Monroe); two copies to the Vice-President of the United States (Tompkins); two
copies to the late President, Mr. Madison; two copies to the Marquis de
Lafayette, twenty copies for the two houses of Congress; twelve copies for the
different departments of the Government (State, Treasury, Justice, Navy, War and
Postmaster); two copies for the President's House; two copies for the Supreme
Court room, one copy to each of the Governors of the States; and one to each of
the Governors of the Territories of the United States; and one copy to the
Council of each Territory; and the remaining copies to the different
Universities and Colleges of the United States, as the President of the United
States may direct."
[xxv]
The 201 official
parchment copies struck from the Stone plate carry the identification
"Engraved by W. J. Stone for the Department of State, by order" in the upper
left corner followed by "of J. Q. Adams, Sec. of State July 4th 1824." in
the upper right corner. "Unofficial" copies that were struck later do not
have the identification at the top of the document or are the printed on vellum.
Instead the engraver identified his work by engraving "W. J. Stone SC. Washn."
near the lower left corner and burnishing out the earlier identification.
Today 33 of the 201 Stone facsimiles printed in 1823 are known to exist.
[xxvi]
Additionally, three 1823 “proof” paper strikes of the Declaration have
recently appeared in public auctions in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Peter Force's
American Archives with Stone Wet Ink Transfer on Rice Paper
Courtesy of Stanley L. Klos
Rice Declaration Of Independence
Mark
Courtesy of Stanley L. Klos
After the 1823
printing, the original plate was altered for Peter Force to include rice paper
copies in a series of books entitled AMERICAN ARCHIVES: Containing A
Documentary History Of The United States Of America Series 4, Six Volumes and
Series 5. The purpose of this book was to compile the History of the United
State 1774 through 1783. American Archives were also to include the
reproduction of key founding documents of the United States. For that occasion
the "Wet Ink" copper plate was removed from storage and altered to
reflect the Rice Paper printing. In 1833 Peter Force paid William stone
for 4,000 printings of the Declaration of Independence from the copper plate. The
declaration was then folded and inserted into Volume 1 of The American Archives
collection. Additionally, Peter Force kept a small number of unfolded
copies as promotional documents for his book.
William StoneCopper Plateand 1976 Printing
Photo
Courtesy of the National Archives Click to Enlarge
The Archival
costs of the American Archives publication limited the number of clients. It is
not known precisely how many "rice wet ink transfers"
survive but less then six unfolded copies are know by this author. Peter Force’s
The American Archives Volumeshave been scanned, edited and published
on the World Wide Web by the author. As of March 2006, the 9,000 pages of
Archives can be found at
www.americanarchives.net.[xxvii]
The Declaration of Independence - A Brief History by Stanley L. Klos --
Authenticate your Declaration of Independence
[i] Journals of the Continental Congress, Lee’s Resolution of Independence,
July 2, 1776
[ii] Jefferson, Thomas Autobiography Draft dated January 6, 1821, The Thomas
Jefferson Papers, Library of Congress
[iii] Adams, John. John Adams autobiography, part 1, "John Adams," through 1776.
Part 1 is comprised of 53 sheets and 1 insertion; 210 pages total. Original
manuscript from the Adams Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical Society. Page
2
[iv] Ibid
[v] Fitzpatrick, John C. The Spirit of the Revolution. Boston and New York: The
Riverside Press Cambridge, 1924.
[vi] Journals of the Continental Congress, July 2, 1776
[vii] McKean, Thomas to Caesar A. Rodney, August 22, 1813, The Thomas Jefferson
Papers Series 1. General Correspondence. 1651-1827
[viii] Adams, John. John Adams autobiography, part 1, "John Adams," through
1776. Part 1 is comprised of 53 sheets and 1 insertion; 210 pages total.
Original manuscript from the Adams Family Papers, Massachusetts Historical
Society. Sheets 40-41
[ix] Adams, John to Abigail Adams, July 3, 1776, Letters of Delegates to
Congress: Volume 4 May 16, 1776 - August 15, 1776, Library of Congress
[x] Adams, John. Letter from John Adams to Abigail Adams, 3 July 1776, "Had a
Declaration..." . 3 pages. Original manuscript from the Adams Family Papers,
Massachusetts Historical Society.
[xi] Jefferson, Thomas Autobiography Draft dated January 6, 1821, The Thomas
Jefferson Papers, Library of Congress
[xii] Adams, John. John Adams autobiography, part 1, "John Adams," through 1776,
Original manuscript page 3
[xiii] Journals of the Continental Congress, Committee appointed to prepare the
declaration, superintend and correct the press, July 4, 1776
[xiv] New York Provincial Congress, Resolution supporting the Declaration of
Independence, July 9, 1776
[xv] Declaration of Independence Sotheby’s Sale, See: New York Times, For 1776
Copy of Declaration, A Record in an Online Auction, dated June 30, 2000
[xvi] The DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, A Multitude of Amendments, Alterations
and Additions, Appendix A - Extant copies of the 4 & 5 July 1776 Dunlap
Broadside
[xvii] Declaration of Independence, German Printing, Pennsylvanisher Staatsbote,
Henrich Millers: Philadelphia; July 9, 1776
[xviii] Journals of the Continental Congress, Official Copies of the Declaration
of Independence, January 18, 1777.
[xix] Walsh, Michael J., "Contemporary Broadside Editions of the Declaration of
Independence." Harvard Library Bulletin 3 (1949): 41.
[xx] Opt Cit, Engrossing The Unanimous Declaration Of The Thirteen United
States of America, July 19, 1776
[xxiii] Frederick W. True’s Semi-centennial history of the National Academy of
Sciences, A History of the First Half-Century of the National Academy of
Sciences 1863-1913, pp. 279-284.
[xxiv] The Daily National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser, June 4, 1823
[xxv] Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, 1823-1824
dated Wednesday, May 26, 1824.
[xxvi] William R. Coleman, "Counting the Stones: A Census of the Stone
Facsimiles of the Declaration of Independence," Manuscripts 43 (Spring 1991):
103
[xxvii] Force, Peter; AMERICAN ARCHIVES: Containing A Documentary History Of The
United States Of America Series 4, Six Volumes and Series 5,
[xxviii] Hancock, John to George Washington concerning the reading of the
Declaration of Independence to the Revolutionary army, 4 July 1776, George
Washington Papers, Library of Congress.
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