Historic "Declaration of Independence" Engraving by publisher John Binns as a small poster

This is a smaller, commercially-printed version of an engraving done by John Binns. (You'll find the history below.) Because of the fine detail, including the text of the Declaration, at this smaller size it won't be possible to read all of the text or make out all of the details.  We also have a  fine art-grade print that is nearly as large the original.

Size: 11" x 15”.  (The original was 36" × 26”.) 

About the paper weight and printing process: Printed on a 10 pt. Cardstock matte using standard inks. 

This print is a part of our Revolutionary War Small poster collection with 5 bestselling posters and where you can save as much as $9.80.

Historical Background

A rivalry erupted between printers John Binns and Benjamin Owen Tyler as they raced to be the first to publish the Declaration of Independence and earn Thomas Jefferson's endorsement. Binns, the publisher behind the Republican newspaper The Democratic Press in Philadelphia, started taking subscriptions for his ornate version of the Declaration in June 1816. His ambitious plan included surrounding the text with portraits of prominent figures like John Hancock, George Washington, and Jefferson, along with the seals of all thirteen states. However, he didn’t manage to release the print until 1819.

Meanwhile, Tyler seized the moment, releasing a more affordable and straightforward version of the Declaration in April 1818. This edition featured facsimile signatures and included a dedication to Jefferson. A self-taught calligrapher and penmanship instructor, Tyler sought Jefferson's permission to dedicate the engraving to him. Jefferson graciously agreed but reminded Tyler that he was "but a fellow-laborer" among the other signers. He noted that, despite the turbulent times, none of the remaining signers had hesitated to put their names to the document.

Afterward, Tyler sent Jefferson a copy of his work on parchment and visited Monticello after May 1818, where he spent a day teaching penmanship to Jefferson’s family.

In response to Tyler’s success, Binns dedicated his work to the people of the United States. In 1819, he sent Jefferson a proof of his print and asked for feedback. Jefferson replied, saying, "the dedication to the people is peculiarly appropriate, for it is their work, and particularly entitled to my approbation with whom it has ever been a principle to consider individuals as nothing in the scale of the nation." He also noted that the print's "great value will be in its exactness as a fac-simile to the original paper," hinting at the challenges Binns would soon face.

Binns had aimed to sell 200 copies of his print to the government, but in 1820, he was disheartened when Secretary of State John Quincy Adams commissioned William J. Stone to create an exact facsimile of the original Declaration.

More about the historical background of the Binns Engraving here.

Learn more about the historical background of this print, including information from the National Park Service, the Library of Congress, and leading auction houses here.