2nd floor, Dexter Hall
In honor of the nation's 250th anniversary, The New York Historical has undertaken new research this year on a copy of the Declaration of Independence, which has been in The Historical's collections for generations. It is one of just a few broadside printings of the Declaration of Independence that lacks the name of a printer. Following close examination by leading scholars and in-depth research by library staff, this version of the Declaration is believed to have been printed by Samuel Loudon, a colonial New York printer who founded the newspaper, The New-York Packet. Various typographical clues suggest Loudon as the likely printer, and based on its appearance, it was presumably printed in the aftermath of July 4, 1776, and used to disseminate the new nation’s independence to the general public in town halls, houses of worship, and other meeting places.
Known as a “no imprint Declaration of Independence” or “sine nomine (without name)”, this particular document has been part of The New York Historical’s collection since at least 1949, when the first comprehensive survey of extant broadside printings of the Declaration of Independence in the United States was undertaken. At the time, the survey noted that the document was “previously unrecorded.” (Curated by Nina Nazionale, the director of library curatorial affairs and research at the The New York Historical’s Patricia D. Klingenstein Library)
Exhibitions at The New York Historical are made possible by the Saunders Trust for American History, the Evelyn & Seymour Neuman Fund, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. WNET is the media sponsor.
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