Dunlap Broadside, Declaration of Independence

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Dunlap Broadside, Declaration of Independence:
$450.00

Mint condition facsimile of a July 4, 1776 Dunlap Broadside of the Declaration of Independence. It was produced in1970 by R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, The Lakeside Press from the original Declaration of Independence owned by Ira Corn, Jr., and Joseph P. Driscoll. The reproduction process took four months and was so well done that it looked exactly like the original, with the exception that it does not have the paper folds that the original has - it is flat and pristine.

The first printing of the Declaration of Independence that this facsimile is recreated from is sometimes called the “Lost Copy.” It is referred to this way because it was re-discovered in 1968 on the dusty shelves of an old bookstore in Philadelphia during the closing of that establishment after 132 years in business; it may have languished there in storage for more than 100 years. The l\\”Lost Copy” was purchased at sale by Dallas business executives Ira G. Corn, Jr., and Joseph P. Driscoll for $404,000.

The original document was restored, preserved and commissioned by R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, The Lakeside Press to produce a limited set of facsimiles. For several years, the owners displayed the original Declaration without charge throughout the United States. It was then acquired by generous Dallas citizens and presented to the City of Dallas on July 4, 1978. The original Declaration that this facsimile is made after is one of only 25 originals known to exist. The facsimile is the most accurate reproduction to date of any original Dunlap Broadside Declaration printings.

Heavy paper containing horizontal chain lines. Ira G. Corn wanted to have a facsimile produced on similar paper and exact as possible. No expense was spared to create this realistic facsimile. Special paper was used which was almost identical to that used by John Dunlap in printing the original Declaration. It is the exact size of the original (~15-1/2” x 19”) (slight variation which matches the original due to its age) - the die-cut process copied the slight deviation from a perfectly rectangular sheet of paper. The 1776 print was done on a hand letter press with heavy impressions that slightly embossed the type on the paper. The Lakeside Press matched the method on a modern day letter press. The facsimile was die-cut to match the rough and slightly worn edges of the original. Stains and aging marks are just like the original, to match the color of aged original paper and to create the same stains, a deep-toned offset in three special colors was used. The back of this facsimile matches the back of the original. This facsimile is so real looking that the only difference on the back is a statement declaring that it is a copy, to prevent confusion on the part of potential collectors.

One of these facsimiles was featured on the 1976 Freedom Train on its nationwide tour from April 1975 - December 1976. It was viewed in 76 cities in the contiguous 48 states. It was displayed in boxcar #1.