Declaration of Independence Draws 1 Million Visitors a Year as Stains and Creases Leave It Barely Legible
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 28
Declaration of Independence Draws 1 Million Visitors a Year as Stains and Creases Leave It Barely Legible
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 28
Summary
The Declaration of Independence is now barely legible, with stains, creases and even a handprint obscuring the founding document on display at the National Archives.
Time and negligence caused much of the damage, turning the document’s physical wear into a record of the rough journey it has endured since 1776.
About 1 million people a year file through the Archives rotunda to view it behind thick glass, confronting both its symbolic power and its visible deterioration.
At nearly 250 years old, the document’s battered condition mirrors the broader story the report draws about American endurance, imperfection and survival.