Rare 1776 Dunlap Printing Of The Declaration of Independence To Be Displayed In Philadelphia For July 4th, On View Until November.

The Parchment Broadside is the Only One of its Kind Known to Exist

PHILADELPHIA — With July 4 quickly approaching, a truly one-of-a-kind artifact is now on display: one of the first printed versions of the Declaration of Independence, a broadside printed on parchment by Philadelphian John Dunlap in July 1776.

Beginning June 26, this unique printing is now on display at the Museum of the American Revolution, just two blocks from Independence Hall, where the revolutionary document was debated and adopted. It will remain on display until November.

This marks the first time the broadside has ever been displayed outside the walls of American Philosophical Society Library (APS), the institution that has loaned it to the Museum.  

“We are honored to be able to share this extraordinary treasure of the American founding with our visitors this summer,” said Dr. R. Scott Stephenson, Vice President of Collections, Exhibitions and Programming for the Museum. “It is humbling to stand in the presence of such an authentic witness to our nation’s birth.”

The rare document was printed by John Dunlap, an Irish immigrant who also produced the first public versions of the Declaration on the night of July 4, 1776. Of the estimated 200 original broadsides printed by Dunlap, 26 are currently known to exist (one of these also is in the collection of APS).

Unlike these broadsides, which were printed on paper, the document to be displayed at the Museum is made of vellum, or parchment, and features oversized print. It is the only one of its kind known to exist.

“This document has an incredible history to tell.  We are thrilled to share it with the American people this July 4,” said Dr. Patrick Spero, Director of the American Philosophical Society Library.  “According to our records, this is the first time we have ever let this parchment leave our buildings, and we couldn’t think of a better institution than the Museum to be its temporary home for celebration of Independence Day.”

The broadside belonged to David Rittenhouse, the Philadelphia astronomer and vice president of the convention that drafted Pennsylvania’s state constitution in 1776. It descended from Rittenhouse's family to physician James Mease, who donated it to the American Philosophical Society in 1828.

The printing will be displayed in a cylindrical case in the Museum’s Declaration of Independence Gallery. The gallery also explores what the Declaration’s promise of “equality” meant for all people, including women, enslaved people, and laboring men. In an adjacent mini-theater that evokes the inside of Independence Hall, a film explores the tumultuous weeks leading up to the adoption of the Declaration. Through a touchscreen installation, visitors learn about the 88 local declarations of support for independence that preceded the one issued by the Continental Congress.

The display is free with regular Museum admission. The Museum will offer music, costumed interpreters and other festivities throughout July 4th weekend. More information is available here.