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Media Advisory: Rare Copy of the Emancipation Proclamation On Display at Duke

The one-page document is one of only six copies known to exist today. It was produced on Jan. 4, 1863 -- three days after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect -- and was given to the U.S. Department of State to share with its foreign embassies for a public relations effort abroad.

The document, which changed the legal status of slaves, can be viewed by the public inside the Mary Duke Biddle Room in Rubenstein Library. It was purchased by Duke Trustee Chair David Rubenstein and loaned to the Rubenstein Library.

Quote:"Having this rare copy of the Emancipation Proclamation on display here at Duke offers the opportunity for the Duke, Durham and Triangle communities to see one of the most significant documents in our country's history,” said John Gartrell, John Hope Franklin Research Center Curator at Duke University Libraries. “It also offers a moment to reflect on it's purpose and promise of freedom, analyze just how far we have come, and consider how much further we need to go."  

Downloadable b-roll of the copy of the Emancipation Proclamation is available for your use: https://duke.box.com/s/x5gkokdumu5fieyx8z0vdmc0pg19cgkr

Downloadable photos are also available for your use: https://duke.box.com/s/cm2i8dx2lxtn2crmo00x7f485xv2nt2r

For additional comment, contact John Gartrell, John Hope Franklin Research Center Curator, at: (919) 660-5911, john.gartrell@duke.edu