The Declaration of Independence as Art: Morgan Library’s John Bidwell at New Haven Museum

New Haven, Conn. (August 5, 2026) – The Declaration of Independence became a work of art during the 19th century, according to John Bidwell, curator emeritus at the Morgan Library & Museum. Bidwell will present, “Declaration of Independence Prints and Broadsides,” a pictorial account of the Declaration showing a growing appreciation of its symbolic significance and an increasing desire to view it in reliable reproductions at the New Haven Museum on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 6 p.m. The NH250 event will be preceded by a reception at 5:30 p.m. Free with regular museum admission, register here.

The evening will also include a rare viewing of the Whitney Library's fascinating Presidential Signatures Collection, including letters and documents signed by American presidents, and an 1823 engraving of the Declaration of Independence by William J. Stone, one of the most accurate reproductions of the nation's founding document.

Bidwell will base his presentation on his most recent publication, “The Declaration of Independence in Script and Print: A Visual History of America’s Founding Document.” He notes that enterprising printmakers created a market for the Declaration during the 19th century. “As much as one might expect illustrations to defeat the function of a facsimile, this style did not go out of fashion until the 20th century,” he says. He adds that much the same marketing methods are again being used during the Semiquincentennial.

“In the 1800s, Americans could buy copiously ornamented facsimile editions of the original manuscript illustrated with portraits, autographs, and patriotic emblems designed to evoke the moral values and living presence of the Founding Fathers, “ Bidwell says. He points out that new and improved intaglio, letterpress, and lithographic printing technologies helped to produce increasingly elaborate allegorical compositions, some touted as precious relics, others aimed at the bottom of the market. The symbolic structure in these prints could include reproductions of John Trumbull’s painting “The Declaration of Independence,” views of Independence Hall, and state seals arranged in a “cordon of honor.”

Bidwell began his curatorial career in 1976, during America’s Bicentennial. He has since been studying American printing history and graphic design with a particular emphasis on patriotic prints. He notes he became interested in the Declaration because it was a highly desirable text printed in large editions for popular distribution. He hopes that visitors will gain an enhanced appreciation of the Declaration as an art object, a text that can be read in different ways depending on its visual interpretations.