Christie's to sell iconic US founding documents to celebrate America's 250th birthday

Описание: (22 Jan 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRSS
New York - 15 January 2026
1. Various, print of the Declaration of Independence printed in Exeter, New Hampshire by Robert Luist Fowle in July 1776 estimated to sell for between $3 to $5 million USD
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Klarnet, senior specialist, books, manuscripts, and Americana, Christie's:
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
"So the first printing of the Declaration of Independence was done on the night of July 4th in Philadelphia at the print shop of John Dunlap. Approximately 200 of those were printed and 26 are known to survive. From there, other printers in other cities throughout the brand new United States began printing their own. And we are very lucky to have an example that's attributed to a printer in Exeter, New Hampshire.”
3. Various of a print of the Declaration of Independence
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Klarnet, senior specialist, books, manuscripts, and Americana, Christie's:
++ COVERED++
"It's historically significant because you get to see what people at the time actually saw. When we think of the Declaration of Independence, we have in our mind this piece of parchment with script on it. Most people would never have seen that. This is the way that everyday Americans would have encountered the Declaration of Independence whether it was tacked to a wall or read from the pulpit of their local congregation.”
5. Tilt-down, Declaration of Independence
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Klarnet, senior specialist, books, manuscripts, and Americana, Christie's:
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
"Rufus King's draft of the Constitution is a printed draft that was printed five days before the final version was issued on 17th September, 1787. What's so remarkable about it is that this is the Constitution taking final form. You can see the edits being made in real time.”
7. Various,  Rufus King's copy of the second printed draft of the United States Constitution estimated to sell for between $3 to $5 million USD
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Klarnet, senior specialist, books, manuscripts, and Americana, Christie's:
++COVERED++
"So this puts you directly in Independence Hall as they're drafting and making the final changes and edits to this remarkable document."
9. Various close-ups of edits made to draft of the United States Constitution
10. Various, Emancipation Proclamation
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Klarnet, senior specialist, books, manuscripts, and Americana, Christie's:
++COVERED++
"This is a printed, authorized printed edition of the Emancipation Proclamation that was commissioned for the Great Central Fair, which was known as a sanitary fair. They were held to raise money to support Union troops and Union veterans. This one was held in June of 1864 in Philadelphia."
12. Various, signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation estimated to sell for between $3 to $5 million USD
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Peter Klarnet, senior specialist, books, manuscripts, and Americana, Christie's:
++COVERED++
"Lincoln and together with his Secretary of State William Seward and his Secretary John Nicolay signed 48 copies of this. They were sold for $20 at the fair and not all of them sold at the time."
14. Tilt-down of the Emancipation Proclamation
15. Close-up, Abraham Lincoln’s signature

ASSOCIATED PRSS
New York - 12 January 2026
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Harold Holzer, Historian:
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
"Private collectors play an important role. They save things, they preserve things, and ultimately they pass on their collections.”

ASSOCIATED PRSS
New York - 15 January 2026

ASSOCIATED PRSS
New York - 12 January 2026







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