Portraits and Autograph Signatures of the Framers and Signers of the Declaration of Independence

This engraving commemorates the fifty-six signers of the Declaration of Independence, arranged in a grid of bust portraits with facsimile signatures beneath each. Produced by the Centennial Portrait and Autograph Company for the nation's centennial, it presents the founding documents' authors as a unified assembly of historical figures. Ornamental borders frame patriotic emblems—the Liberty Bell, Carpenter's Hall, militia regalia, and wreaths—establishing the visual hierarchy between individual portraiture and collective national memory. The work exemplifies nineteenth-century commemorative printmaking, translating historical records into accessible popular imagery for a mass audience.