Typeface

[Site Man]

OLD FORUM POSTS

Posted by Carol on July 05, 2002

Hiya
Anyone know what the typeface was that was used to set the Declaration of Independence? I do. Recently acquired knowledge, I'll admit. Take a guess.

Mike Jackson

Okay, I'll bite.

I thought it was written by hand by Thomas Jefferson....but someone has digitized it and called it Hancock. Maybe it was John Hancock that actually penned it and was the first to sign it?

I think I am close, but the details might be a little ragged.

Let us know in a couple of days after others take their best guess.

Mike

Raymond Chapman

Brush Script?

Rick Sacks

I think it was one of Billy Caslon's faces.

Raymond Chapman

I was always under the impression that Thomas Jefferson was the person who actually penned the final draft and then it was signed - just like Mike said. It would probably have had to have several copies made, but I didn't know that it was set in type. I'll be interested in seeing the answer.

By the way, if you haven't read the biography of John Adams yet, it is a great book. But it is a long thing to get through. Those guys that founded this country were not just a bunch of hoodlums - they were giving their lives to see that this new experiment worked.

Rick Sacks

A Thomas Jefferson quote I saw recently.....

When the people fear the government you have tyranny. When the government fears the people you have liberty.

Bob Gilliland

Caslon Antique?

Bob Gilliland

SOME WILL CALL CASLON THE FREEDOM FONT because it was the font of choice to typeset both The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States of America. For some thirty years prior to that day in 1776, Caslon was the printing standard of the British Empire. Unfortunately, Caslon’s creator, William Caslon I, passed away in 1766, and was unable to see his font in use for such magnificent purpose.

http://www.graphic-design.com/Type/Caslon/default.html

William Caslon released his first typefaces in 1722. Caslon_s types were based on seventeenth-century Dutch old style designs, which were then used extensively in England. Because of their remarkable practicality, Caslon_s designs met with instant success. Caslon_s types became popular throughout Europe and the American colonies; printer Benjamin Franklin hardly used any other typeface. The first printings of the American Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were set in Caslon. For her Caslon revival, designer Carol Twombly studied specimen pages printed by William Caslon between 1734 and 1770.

http://www.eyewire.com/cgi-bin/WebObjec ... uct=411528

Carol

The Caslon folks are right. Here's a quick URL to learn a bit more. http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronic ... ation.html

I don't remember how many were originally printed then distributed by horseback, but I think 25 of the first printing are still around. It was a risky thing for the printer to do.

Cam Bortz

500 copies of the Declaration were printed and distributed throughout the thirteen colonies. 25 are known to exist. The most recent one was found behind an old painting, purchased at a flea market in Pennsylvania in 1989. At an auction it sold for $8 million.

Mike Jackson - Confused...but then I'm getting gray hair

Hi Cam,
I visited the Smithsonian about 20 years ago and was in the building where one of the Declaration was stored. It seems to me the document was in a special climate controlled box, and only available to be viewed about once an hour for only a few minutes to reduce deterioration by light. Wasn't there ONE hand written document used for the source of the others? It also seems to me that we got a parchment reproduction of the Declaration of Independence as part of a gas station promotion a long time ago, and I seem to remember that one being hand written and not printed.

Like I said in the subject line, I am getting older and maybe I have forgotten some of this information, but it seems like there is more to the story here. I know you are a history buff and either know the answer or can find out the information.

Thanks!
Mike Jackson

Mike Jackson

I found this site just now. It does show Jefferson's draft of the document with crossed out wording and edits by Jefferson and Adams. It also shows one of the 24 (25) remaining documents that were actually printed on a press.

There is a good chance the parchment document I remember was hand scripted by someone to look similar to Jefferson's handwriting with all the correct wording. Sounds logical for a promo piece.

Declaration of Independece Documents
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/declara/declara4.html