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The faded appearance of the Declaration of Independence has a specific explanation: for 35 years, the document stood opposite a window in the Patent Office Building, exposed to direct sunlight. According to the National Archives Museum, that exposure caused considerable fading. Its present surroundings reflect a different approach to preservation. Light levels in the National Archives Rotunda are deliberately low because light fades ink and damages parchment and paper. Cooler temperatures help prolong the documents' lives. The Declaration, Constitution and Bill of Rights went on display in the Rotunda in 1952. President Harry S. Truman presided over their unveiling on December 15 that year. Their public display has been accompanied by routine inspections by conservators. In 2001, the documents were removed for analysis, conservation and new encasements. They returned to public display on September 17, 2003, the 216th anniversary of the Constitution's adoption. For visitors, the subdued lighting is part of the experience of seeing the originals. It also serves a practical purpose: protecting fragile materials whose earlier exposure left a visible mark.
The faded appearance of the Declaration of Independence has a specific explanation: for 35 years, the document stood opposite a window in the Patent Office Building, exposed to direct sunlight. According to the National Archives Museum, that exposure caused considerable fading. Its present surroundings reflect a different approach to preservation. Light levels in the National Archives Rotunda are deliberately low because light fades ink and damages parchment and paper. Cooler temperatures help prolong the documents’ lives. The Declaration, Constitution and Bill of Rights went on display in the Rotunda in 1952. President Harry S. Truman presided over their unveiling on December 15 that year. Their public display has been accompanied by routine inspections by conservators. In 2001, the documents were removed for analysis, conservation and new encasements. They returned to public display on September 17, 2003, the 216th anniversary of the Constitution’s adoption. For visitors, the subdued lighting is part of the experience of seeing the originals. It also serves a practical purpose: protecting fragile materials whose earlier exposure left a visible mark.
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