Freedom Declared: History on Display in Durham

Three copies of the Declaration of Independence are now in Durham for public viewing

People looking at a copy of the declaration of independence.
Duke Arts team members, from left, Yesenia Martinez-Yanez, Sarah Hammond and Riley Harden look at a historic copy of the Declaration of Independence on loan from the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection at the Durham County Main Library.

Three historic copies of the Declaration of Independence have arrived in Durham for public display, offering a rare chance to see the documents as originally rendered and circulated.

The exhibition, which debuts today at the downtown Durham Public Library, features three rare prints on loan from the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection. This includes a rare official full-sized 1823 facsimile engraved by William J. Stone (known as a Stone Declaration) alongside two historic broadside copies from the same era: an 1818 reproduction by calligrapher Benjamin Owen Tyler and a more ornate 1819 illustrated version published by John Binns. 

“It is an extraordinary honor to present these historic documents in Durham,” said Deborah Rutter, vice provost for the arts at Duke University. “Together, these three historic prints show how differently the Declaration’s words were rendered and shared from the beginning. They remind us that this is a living text, continually examined and interpreted through art, scholarship and public conversation. I look forward to continuing that tradition of thoughtful civic engagement throughout the We the People initiative.”

The exhibit runs through September 20 at the library and then moves to Duke’s Nasher Museum of Art for public display until early January. It is a central feature of the We the People initiative, a partnership between Duke and several Durham organizations to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States’ Declaration of Independence.

The initiative examines the nation’s evolving identity through exhibitions, performances, coursework, conversations and public programs through the spring of 2027.

The Stone Declaration is particularly notable. The nation enjoyed a surge in patriotism following the War of 1812, and in 1820, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams commissioned Washington engraver William Stone to create an official replica of the original document. Two hundred copies were printed and distributed to government repositories, significant officeholders, and the few surviving signers of the Declaration. Fewer than 40 Stone Declarations are known to survive today, including the one now in Durham. The Stone Declaration is accompanied by two historic broadsides created by Benjamin Owen Tyler (1818) and John Binns (1819), single-sheet printed editions that helped circulate the Declaration to the public.

The Stone version is now one of the most reproduced versions of the document, appearing in school textbooks, media and other depictions of this founding document.

“Having these early printings of the Declaration brings a meaningful piece of our nation’s story right into the community’s living room at the library,” said Durham County Library Director Dana Conners.

“We the People encourages us to pause and consider the journey we’ve shared and the path forward. My hope is that people of all generations walk away from this exhibit feeling curious, inspired and optimistic about what we can continue to build together.”

More information on all three documents is available here.

The exhibition will be free and open to the public at both locations, with complementary programming on Duke’s campus and in partnership with Durham organizations.  

For more information on the exhibition and initiative, go to We the People.

The public exhibition features three historic copies of the Declaration of Independence on loan from the David M. Rubenstein Americana Collection at the Durham County Main Library.
Manoj Mohanan, left, vice provost for interdisciplinary programs, and Paul Kartcheske,
production manager at Duke Arts, examine a copy.