In addition to the Smithsonian’s Exhibition, “Voices and Votes”, the Bristow Historical Society is proud to announce that we will be displaying several one-of-akind, collectible documents related to American history from the Scott and Karah Peters Family Collection. This part of the exhibit will only be available in Bristow’s “Voices and Votes” display for a limited time and during specific hours between June 1 st & July 13 th , 2024. For the next few weeks, we will share a few more details about several of the display pieces so you can understand how special this collection is to our community and to American history.
One of the most famous and rare pieces on display is an amazing document whose history dates to 1823. In 1823, with the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching, Congress commissioned noted engraver, W.J. Stone to produce a high-quality, fullsize copy of the original engrossed Declaration of Independence. The full text and the signatures of the 56 delegates were to be carefully copied and engraved on a full-size copper plate for use in printing the Declaration. W.J. Stone spent more than two years engraving and perfecting the copper plate, and after he had printed the 200 copies ordered, in addition to printing one copy for himself, his original engraved copper plate was turned over to the Department of State to be preserved and is now held on display at the National Archives in Washington D.C. William Stone’s personal copy of the Declaration was later donated to the Smithsonian Museum by his widow and remains on display for the public to enjoy.
A decade after William Stone’s prints were completed, Peter Force (17901868), historian, publisher, and mayor of Washington D.C., conceived a massive 20-volume anthology entitled American Archives, containing copies of key letters, documents, and broadsides from the Revolutionary War. Congress agreed to fund an edition of 1,500 sets but subscriptions fellshort and as few as 500 were printed. For the American Archives project, Force arranged with the State Department to print copies of the Declaration from W.J. Stone's original copperplate on fine woven paper. Stone's original printer mark was neatly burnished out at the top of the plate and a discreet "W.J. STONE SC[ULPSIT] WASHN." added in the lower left quadrant.
This rare document will be on display at the Bristow Historical Society during the Smithsonian Exhibit “Voices & Votes”! We are very grateful to the Scott & Karah Peters Family for their willingness to give the public an opportunity to view this and several other outstanding historical documents. See you at the Bristow Depot June 1 st through July 13 th for the Smithsonian’s “Voices and Votes” Exhibition!