Happy Birthday, America

Timothy Matlack may have had his 15 minutes of fame in 1776. History has long forgotten his name, but his work is seen by millions of people each year. You may even own a copy of his most famous work.

Matlack was one of the original protesters of British rule and became a delegate to the Second Continental Congress that drafted the Declaration of Independence. He also held a unique job with the Congress as assistant to the Secretary of the Congress.

But his claim to fame was not that of patriot or military service it was his beautiful penmanship, i.e. penmanship is a lost art save calligraphers. He was given the task of copying the original draft of the Declaration onto parchment made from animal skin, probably calfskin, treated with lime.

With a feather quill pen and ink made from oak galls, iron and gum arabic colored with logwood, he labored two weeks writing the Declaration in English Roundhand Script. With many flourishes and curlicues, the master penman physically wrote the most famous document in our history.

In the darkened rotunda of the National Archives, Matlack’s original copy now occupies a bullet-proof encasement made of titanium and filled with an inert argon gas to prevent decomposition. Each year thousands of citizens and foreign visitors view Matlack’s work.

Happy 239th Birthday, America!