- BYU professor Robert Buchert recreated the Declaration of Independence 250 years later.
- Buchert spent over 1,300 hours using historical techniques to ensure authenticity.
- He emphasizes the document's significance, adding that his recreation process helped give him a sense of connection.
PROVO — The Fourth of July gives Americans around the country the chance to come together and celebrate the birth of the United States as an independent nation.
This usually takes shape through parades, fireworks displays, cookouts and spending time outdoors.
But this year, Brigham Young University professor Robert Buchert is taking a different approach to connecting with his American heritage.
How?
By meticulously recreating the Declaration of Independence, one letter, sheet and impression at a time, 250 years after it was rushed into existence by printers working under the pressure of an unfolding revolution.
"I started doing some research on 18th-century paper, and I somehow stumbled on the Dunlap Broadside, which is the first printing of the Declaration of Independence," Buchert, who has taught BYU's intro to letterpress class for over two decades, said in a video. "I looked at it, and I thought, 'This is the 250th year. I could make that.'"
The result — painstakingly replicated through the use of centuries-old printing techniques and tools — mirrors not only the declaration's words but also the paper, typography and printing imperfections of the original.
A true replica even the most dogged of history buffs would appreciate.
The recreation took more than 1,300 hours of research, design and handcraftsmanship on Buchert's part — a far cry from the original, which was famously produced in a single night.
"A lot of people think of the Declaration of Independence, and they think of the signers. Well, that one was done like a month later. The original one was the one with this wild typography. There's a clear imprint of the excitement of that night and the haste in which they had to produce this thing," Buchert said.
Buchert started the process by examining a high-resolution scan of one of the 26 surviving original Dunlap Broadsides preserved by the Library of Congress, scaling the scan to its original dimensions to dissect every detail of the document.
Then, he engineered a specialized screen to match the original's unusual 1.05-inch chain lines. He digitally uncovered the document's watermark and hand-shaped the wire design, soldering it to the mold. He then produced sheets from flax, hemp, and cotton fibers.
"I make papermaking equipment. I make paper. I do type design. I do letterpress printing," Buchert said. "That's sort of a strange skill set to have. It is very niche. But it was like, 'Oh, but that's the skill set you need to do this thing.'"
Buchert even rejected the use of modern fonts, arguing that they didn't offer the same authenticity the declaration needed. To solve this problem, he rebuilt the typeface from historical specimens, even using type believed to have come from the same foundry that supplied the original, according to evidence from a specimen book.
Going back to the rushed nature of the original document, Buchert explained that replicating the curvature and imperfect spacing was one of the most time-consuming parts of the project.
To do so, Buchert manually adjusted every individual character to match the original spacing and alignment. A job that would normally take minutes turned into days.
But after four months of work, the recreation was finally completed.
Upon finishing, Buchert was met with revelations he hadn't considered regarding the historical significance of the document.
"Sometimes it's referred to as the birth certificate of the nation, but it was also the death warrant of the nation because by publishing these things, they were committing treason," Buchert said. "It gave permission to other groups of people to say, 'We need freedom from this oppression,' and I think that's one of the reasons why I consider it a sacred document."
So sacred that Buchert now keeps a framed recreation of the Declaration of Independence in his home.
"I want my daughter to understand. I want her to have some connection. It's so hard. Two-hundred and fifty years ago, having these objects that help us connect, I think, is important," Buchert said.
