On Thursday, July 17, at noon, the Library will host historian John Bidwell for a “Made at the Library” event to celebrate the recent publication of his book, The Declaration in Script and Print: A Visual History of America’s Founding Document. Dr. Bidwell will discuss his book and the process of conducting research using the Library’s collections.
The Declaration in Script and Print tells the story of the composition and first printings of the Declaration of Independence in 1776-1777 and traces the history of 19th-century artistic reproductions of our nation’s founding document. With a keen eye for the technical and creative choices that defined these reproductions of the Declaration, Dr. Bidwell offers his analytical and interpretive examinations of historic broadsides, prints, and illustrations while also presenting a deeply researched and lively narrative of the people and events involved in bringing the Declaration of Independence to the American public in various formats over the course of the nation’s first century. Dr. Bidwell’s book also provides a comprehensive checklist of the Declaration’s nearly two hundred printings known to exist. The Declaration in Print and Script explores a transformative moment in print history by discussing the artistic techniques of typesetting, engraving, and lithography used to reproduce and illustrate the various editions of the Declaration in this era. The Library couldn’t be more excited to host Dr. Bidwell and to learn more about the research and writing process that brought this book into being.
The event on July 17 will include four parts:
- John Bidwell will present a brief introduction to his book and the process by which he identified, researched, and interpreted the Library’s collections in his work.
- Then, Stephanie Stillo, the Chief of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, will engage with Dr. Bidwell in a conversational interview segment.
- With the remaining time in the hour, the audience will have the opportunity to ask questions.
- Before and after the event on stage, a curated display of select printings of the Declaration of Independence from the
Manuscript and Rare Book Divisions will highlight the Library’s extraordinary Americana collections.
This event took place in person on Thursday, July 17, 2025, 12:00pm-1:00pm EDT. Watch the program here:
John Bidwell is a curator emeritus at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City and served as the Astor Curator of Printed Books & Bindings there. Dr. Bidwell received his bachelor’s degree in history at Columbia University, earned his M.A. at Columbia’s School of Library Service, and received his doctorate in English from Oxford University. He has written extensively on the history of papermaking and the graphic arts.
The “Made at the Library” series highlights works that emerge from research conducted at the Library of Congress and features authors, artists, and other creators in conversation with experts from the Library’s staff.
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