03 Feb 2026 January’s Office Artifact: John Gill Edition of the Declaration of Independence
To celebrate the start of America250, this month our office artifact is a historically authentic reproduction of the John Gill print of the Declaration of Independence from our friends at the Printing Office of Edes & Gill!
Edes & Gill, a longtime historic printing press nonprofit that has operated along the Freedom Trail for years, gifted this authentically reproduced Declaration of Independence to HBI in honor of the nation’s 250th. This copy was hand-printed on their Wooden Common Press on 100% Cotton Linen-Laid paper.
The “official” copy of the Declaration arrived in Boston on July 15, 1776. Printer John Gill set it on July 16th, printed on July 17th, and had copies ready for distribution on July 18th—when it was read publicly for the first time from the balcony of the Old State House!
