A New Declaration of Independence for America's 250th Birthday From Arion Press

A special print shop in San Francisco called Arion Press has created a unique project to celebrate America's 250th birthday. The project is called "Declare: A Civic Gospel," and it is a tribute to the Declaration of Independence. It was made entirely by hand and includes poems, essays, a large printed copy of part of the Declaration, and small wooden medallions. Only 250 copies exist, and each one costs $3,000.

Arion Press is located at Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, a former military post that is now a home for the arts. The press says it is the only printer in the country that makes books completely by hand under one roof. Workers there cast metal type, print pages, and bind books all in the same building. Their slogan is "from comma to cover."

When you first look at "Declare," it seems like a simple blue box. But inside, there are many layers. On top is a bound book of poems and essays. Below that is a large printed copy of the Declaration's opening section, and in two pull-out trays, there are artist-designed medallions made from the wood of trees that once stood at Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.

Ted Gioia, a leader at Arion Press, called the project "E Pluribus Unum in boxed-up form." That Latin phrase means "out of many, one" and is printed on American money. He said the project shows that democracy is the work of many hands. "America was founded in an act of printing," Gioia said. "Our independence wasn't just declared — it was crafted."

The wooden medallions have an interesting backstory. In 2024, the team at Arion heard that two 200-year-old tulip poplar trees at Monticello had to be cut down because they were sick. The trees had stood near Jefferson's house during his lifetime. Arion connected with Jane Kamensky, the president of Monticello, and the two groups began working together on the project.

Some of the artists and 16 writers traveled to Monticello for a special study day. They met with historians, archaeologists, and tree experts called arborists. Writers who joined the project include historian Jill Lepore, poets Rita Dove and Arthur Sze, and retired Marine General James Mattis. Kamensky joked that the group was probably "the only dignitaries we've ever taken to our stump dump."

Many details of the project were inspired by Thomas Jefferson himself. The blue box is designed to remind people of Jefferson's portable writing desk. The red cover of the essay book was inspired by Jefferson's personal Bible, and the typeface used for the printed Declaration — called Caslon — is the same one used by the printer who created the very first printed copies of the Declaration on July 4, 1776.

The medallions were inspired by 18th-century peace medals once used in diplomacy. One medallion, designed by artist Chip Kidd, includes the playful phrase "And a pox on King George!" Another, by Charles Gaines, connects the phrase "Tree of Liberty" to the history of anti-lynching protests. The project touches on big, sometimes difficult ideas about freedom and American history.

Arion Press has been making books the old-fashioned way since 1974. The press uses a 19th-century machine called a Monotype system to cast lines of metal type. Workers then use a vintage printing press to put ink on paper, aiming for just the right "kiss impression" so every letter looks crisp and clear. "There's a correct amount of ink where it just sings," said press room manager Joel Benson.

In the bindery, workers carefully put all the pieces of the book together. Megan Gibes, one of those workers, said the careful handwork connects to a bigger idea about America. "My contribution to this is the skill, the craft," she said. "That's what this country is built on — a bunch of people's invisible hard labor." Even Arion's carefully made books sometimes have typos, because, as Gibes put it, "It's humans doing all of this — that's the magic of it."