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The William J. Stone facsimile of the Declaration of Independence, printed on parchment, with Stone's imprint. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, upon discovering the fragility of the original Declaration of Independence in 1820, ordered this exact facsimile to be produced. A bright copy of Peter Force’s 1833 printing of the Declaration of Independence, from W. J. Stone’s 1823 plate. In 1823, with the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching, Congress commissioned Stone to produce a high-quality, actual-size replica of the original engrossed Declaration. Note: The following text is a transcription of the Stone Engraving of the parchment Declaration of Independence (the document on display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum.) That made Stone’s engraving the only faithful copy made of the original document for posterity and the basis for the popular copies that proliferate today. Stone initially produced 201 parchment copies for living signers of the Declaration, government dignitaries, select institutions, and one for himself. The Declaration of Independence High-Resolution Declaration Image (1.43 MB) This image is of the actual Declaration of Independence parchment. Download This File Read a Transcript High-Resolution Declaration Stone Engraving Image (1.88 Article A Commemorative Engraving Thomas Stone National Historic Site Tyler Engraving University of Virginia Library This commemorative engraving of the Declaration of Independence was one of approximately 1,700 copies published by Benjamin Owen Tyler in 1818. Up to this point all mass produced copies of the Declaration were typeset on a Declaration of Independence: The Stone Copy presents a rare "Stone" copperplate facsimile of the historic document in the American galleries of the West Building of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, May 28 through September 5, 2011. Overview: One of the 31 remaining copies of William J. Stone's 1820 engraving of the Declaration of Independence was on view in this focus exhibition. The document, on loan from David M. Rubenstein, was hung with 11 early American portraits by Gilbert Stuart, who was active during the period in which the Stone engraving was created. Stone took three years to create his copper plate, by either tracing or press copying the original. The Stone copy was the most exact copy of the original engrossed Declaration, with almost the same dimensions, and 200 were created at first pressing. In 1820, John Quincy Adams, then secretary of state and a future President, commissioned a young printer, William J. Stone, to make a full-size facsimile copperplate engraving of the Declaration of Independence. At the time, the Declaration, signed by 56 individuals (including Adams's own father) from all 13 colonies, was showing signs of age. Adams felt that an engraved copperplate from which This copy of the Declaration of Independence, printed on parchment, is one of 201 produced from William J. Stone's engraving. John Quincy Adams, then Secretary of State, commissioned Stone to create an exact facsimile. In 1820, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams decided there should be a full-size exact facsimile of the Declaration and commissioned William Stone to create what would become the Stone Engraving of the Declaration of Independence. Stone completed it in 1823, and it became the official copy for government use. This specific Stone copy, therefore, provides an opportunity to examine the rich material history of the Declaration of Independence as both a text and a visual icon. With the approval of Congress, Adams commissioned William J. Stone to engrave a facsimile—an exact copy—on a copper plate. Stone’s engraving is the best representation of the Declaration as the manuscript looked prior to its nearly complete deterioration. A detail from copper plate created by W.J. Stone. Stone’s work is the best representation of the Declaration manuscript as it looked at the time of signing. On April 11, 1823, Adams noted a visit from “Stone the Engraver, who has finished his fac-simile of the original Declaration of Independence.” Our in-person and online exhibits explore how the Declaration of Independence went from the tip of Jefferson's quill in 1776 to become a global icon of democracy. About 1820, Adams commissioned Washington engraver William Stone to produce a facsimile of the Declaration text and signatures. Stone completed engraving the copperplate in June 1823 and sold it to the State Department, which had 200 copies printed on parchment. Here are examples of important printings and facsimiles of the Declaration of Independence—ranging from broadsides and newspapers printed in July 1776 to William J. Stone’s copperplate engraving and other, more decorative, early 19th century prints. Our chronological list of July 1776 and other significant Declaration-related imprints, including the earliest notices of independence is Congress then nominates a drafting committee to compose a declaration of independence. Named the "Committee of Five," it included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Jefferson is chosen to draft the document. Secretary of State John Quincy Adams commissioned William J. Stone, a Washington engraver, to produce an official facsimile on copperplate of the Declaration text and signatures for the United States government.
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