America’s 250th anniversary celebration hasn’t wrapped up yet.
At the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, visitors are invited to witness six rare printings of the Declaration of Independence as part of a special exhibition, “The Declaration’s Journey.”
According to a PhillyVoice report, the exhibition features Dunlap and Mary Katharine Goddard broadsides, including Goddard’s January 1777 printing. This printing first listed the signers’ names after most members of the Continental Congress signed the document at the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall.
One Dunlap broadside on display is among only 26 known survivors and was once owned by Philadelphia merchant Jonas Phillips. Phillips enclosed it in a July 28, 1776, letter to his cousin in Amsterdam, describing it as “a whole declaration of the new country.” The item spent nearly 250 years in Britain. According to the PhillyVoice, they are now back in Philadelphia and on public display for the first time since 1776.
Beyond the exhibit, the museum presents the Meet the Revolution living history series with costumed interpreters. Programs within the series will cover topics such as Philadelphia’s clothing trade (July 24–25), upholsterers who produced military supplies (Aug. 7–9), and Asians in 18th-century America (Sept. 5).
A hands-on Common Press printmaking workshop on Aug. 15 invites visitors to see how colonial printing presses helped spread news of independence, complementing ongoing summer activities through Labor Day weekend.
During Labor Day weekend, the museum will offer free admission for children 12 and younger, with complimentary children’s tickets available at the museum’s front desk.
Visit the Museum of the American Revolution at 101 South Third St. in Philadelphia. Learn more about these summer programs on the museum’s website.