As part of the Penn Libraries' America 250 programming, join the Common Press for The Typography of Independence, a year-long program celebrating the papermaking and printing techniques that created the first edition of the Declaration of Independence.
Through monthly letterpress printing sessions, typesetting workshops, a city-wide rag collection and papermaking project, and a series of public lectures, workshops, and tours, the program highlights the production processes behind this Philadelphia-made foundational document.
Join us throughout the year for free, public hands-on workshops and live demonstrations.
Visit Common Press beginning in June 2026 to print a copy of the Declaration of Independence for yourself.
Talk and book signing with Emily Sneff.
To honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration, Common Press will host a 3 day community typesetting event during which all are invited to hand-set metal type to help create a historically-accurate replica. The final forme of metal type will remain available for printing on our 19th-century hand press through the end of 2026
Typography of Independence: Join us for an event celebrating Common Press's acquisition of a set of ink balls with special guest Sara Karpinski.
In this creative typesetting workshop, the Declaration text will be split amongst registered participants, and each participant will have the freedom to choose to include, edit, or redact the words in their segment. The workshop runs January 30 & 31 from noon to 5 p.m. at Common Press.
Dr. Emily Sneff, a leading expert on the history of the Declaration of Independence, will share some of the stories behind the first printings of the founding document of the United States. ONLINE EVENT.
We are attempting to make paper the way it was made in 1776. Over the fall 2025, we collected cotton and linen fabric from the Philadelphia community. This community-wide cloth collection mimics the papermaking process in 1770s when rag collectors circulated the city to collect the base material for making paper.
In March and April 2026, we will make paper pulp from these rags at Historic Rittenhouse Town, the location of the first papermill in the United States. We'll use the paper pulp to pull 300 sheets of 16 x 20 inch paper to print Declaration of Independence on.
Join us for one of our public open houses to see the process yourself!
A broadside or broadsheet is a historical term for a one-sided letterpress print (like the Declaration of Independence), meant for public display. Each month, visit the Common Press for an Open Studio Session and print a broadside for yourself! The theme of the broadside changes each month, exploring the people and processes important to document production in the late 18th century.
The printing activity takes less than 10 minutes, so feel free to drop by anytime. These events are free and open to the public, but you will need either a PennCard or a photo ID to enter the building.
Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside that celebrates our newly acquired Caslon metal type!
Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside about rag collectors and papermaking in 1770s!
Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside on the reprinting and distribution of the Declaration of Independence!
Special holiday card printing in candlelight!
Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside about how the pace of time impacted life in the Revolutionary era!
Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside commemorating the important role iron played in Pennsylvanian and American history!
Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside about history of the land Philadelphia sits on, and the complicated history of occupation and ownership.
Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside exploring a key ingredient used to produce ink, fabric, and paper during the Revolutionary era: flax!
Join us for a drop-in Open Studio at Common Press to print a broadside reflecting on important aspects of labor history during the early days of the United States of America.
Beyond the physical spaces between words and letters, we can examine the Declaration of Independence for the uneven space that was afforded for people in the document. Of the 1,320 words in the Declaration, there is space offered for two large categories of humans: the masculine (“He”, “Mankind”, “Men”) and the words “merciless Indian Savages”.
Ironworks, like crucibles, functioned as melting pots of a sort in which capital, people, and ideas from Europe, Africa, and North America met, collided, and melded to form something new and uniquely American. -John Bezis-Selfa
Time in the Revolutionary Era
The University of Pennsylvania, located in the heart of the city, was at the center of the dramatic events of 1776 and the Revolution that followed. 250 years later, partners across the university are exploring how history can help us better understand the present and create a sustainable and inclusive future.
