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Rare 1819 Printing Declaration of Independence

Autographs

Rare 1819 "William Woodruff" Ornate Broadside Printing of The Declaration of Independence

(DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE - Broadside Engraved Print By William Woodruff).
This is an original of the highly important and rare Broadside Printing of The Declaration of Independence, as Engraved by William Woodruff (whose name appears at the bottom), published in 1819, Choice Fine in appearance. This 24.75" tall x 22" wide Broadside appeared just a few months before a very similar printing was offered by John Binns, who then accused Woodruff of stealing his design and filed a lawsuit against him. The text of the Declaration appears inside a very ornate circular frame formed by a wreath and seals of the 13 original colonies, topped by portraits of the first three Presidents; Washington, Adams and Jefferson, several flags, and an American Heraldic Eagle. The signatures are uniformly printed rather than being facsimiles of the actual signatures. A war of words raged in the newspapers at the time, between Binns and Woodruff, over the two printings of the Declaration, creating advertising for their broadsides and generating an increased interest in the Declaration itself. The Woodruff broadside printing offered here is very nice comparative condition to those we have seen offered over the years. This "Declaration" appears to have some light damp stains, mostly at the very top and slightly irregular right edge with slightly trimmed margins. One of the most important and earliest, historic early printings of The Declaration of Independence.