1876 Ames Broadside Celebrating the Centennial of the Declaration of Independence

An impressive 1876 first edition broadside published by Daniel Titus Ames to celebrate the centennial. Likely made for the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, the view promotes Manifest Destiny - the idea of American social and pollical power spreading westward across the continent.

A Closer Look

The broadside consists of two oval windows: the left features the Declaration of Independence and a portrait of Washington, and the right the Emancipation Proclamation and a portrait of Abraham Lincoln. The full text of both documents is contained within, written in the 19th-century calligraphic style known as 'engrossing', one of Ames' specialties. These windows are surrounded by elaborate floral-motive decoration and 22 vignettes illustrating important moments in American history.

Views of Pittsburgh

Two central bird's-eye views illustrate Pittsburgh, where the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers form the Ohio. The upper view is dated 1776, exhibiting forest. The lower view, depicting 1876, presents a bustling city and gateway to the west. Some collection catalogers have suggested these views represent Philadelphia, but this is definitively not the case. Not only do they not resemble Philadelphia, but it was already a large and prosperous city in 1776. The use of Pittsburgh underscores the 'manifest destiny' title banner just above 'Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way.'

Publication History and Census

This view was published in 1876 by Daniel T. Ames. It was issued in several formats, including a double-sized edition with chromolithograph shading published sometime later by W. Welke and James Miller. The present example, bearing only the Ames imprint, is the first edition. This view was most likely produced for sale at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, and the elaborate buildings behind the title are likely the exposition halls. The view is scarce. Institutional collection records indicate one example at Yale, and another at the Newberry, both the Welke/Miller second edition. We note just one example on the market in the last 20 years.