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'John of England Signs the Magna Carta,' scan of illustration from 'Cassell's History of England,' 1902

Magna Carta goes on display at Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson
'John of England Signs the Magna Carta,' scan of illustration from 'Cassell's History of England,' 1902
‘John of England Signs the Magna Carta,’ scan of illustration from ‘Cassell’s History of England,’ 1902

BOSTON (AP) – A rare copy of the Magna Carta, one of the pivotal documents of Western civilization, is on display at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.

The museum has scheduled an official unveiling ceremony for Monday and the document will go on display to the public starting Wednesday and last until Sept. 1.

One of only four surviving copies of the original 1215 document, it is on loan from the Lincoln Cathedral in the United Kingdom.

The landmark document has served as a symbol of liberty and inspired the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The exhibition also includes portraits, marble busts, and historical documents related to several of the Founding Fathers, presidents, and abolitionists, particularly from Massachusetts, who were inspired by the liberties enshrined in Magna Carta.

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ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

'John of England Signs the Magna Carta,' scan of illustration from 'Cassell's History of England,' 1902
‘John of England Signs the Magna Carta,’ scan of illustration from ‘Cassell’s History of England,’ 1902