Rare national archives are on public display at USC for America’s 250th anniversary

A stone carving of the Declaration of Independence. The Treaty of Paris, which ended the war with Great Britain. A sheet of paper bearing the Senate seal of the Bill of Rights from 1789. A 1778 document with George Washington’s signature floating above the Oath of Allegiance.

These are among 16 rare and rare national treasures on display at the USC Fisher Museum of Art, the third of eight stops on the National Archives’ traveling exhibit to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Museum visitors Jean and Phil Orozco marveled at the pieces of history inside the dimly lit exhibit room.

“In these times that we are in right now, there is a lot of importance in writing and interpreting the way it should be interpreted,” said Phil.

“It confirms what we should have followed from the beginning,” said Jean.

USC is the only university to host the exhibition and the Fisher Museum has been carefully prepared to display the sensitive archives, said Bethany Montagano, the museum’s director.

“We have the infrastructure, and we have the staff that will be able to live according to strict standards,” said Montagano.

The show is transported across the state on a specially equipped “Freedom plane,” which was greeted with a drum roll from the USC marching band upon its arrival at the Van Nuys Airport. Members of the USC Reserve Officers Training Corps were on the right track as they carefully inspected the documents of the Boeing 737. The documents were taken to USC for safekeeping cases.

USC President Beong-Soo Kim said as the country continues its 250-year debate about the text’s content, he felt it was important that the public be allowed to see all the additions and amendments to the original text.

“It’s a really good opportunity for us to educate the public and give them the opportunity to enjoy these magistrate’s books,” said Kim, who was present at the Van Nuys Airport to receive the books in mid-April. “These documents remind us that these principles of freedom and democracy are the ones that must be worked on.”

National Archives “Freedom Flight” at Van Nuys Airport.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

The Fisher Museum had to meet certain criteria to include the documents, said Jessie Kratz, a historian at the National Archives and curator of the exhibit.

Documents are very sensitive to light, and the lumens of high-end lamps are kept as low as candlelight to avoid degradation.

The artifacts – yellow leather with small stress marks on the edges and a stone tablet with intricate details – almost glow under the black lights above the exhibition. A lengthy debate appears on the paper that has held the Senate’s Bill of Rights since 1789, and Washington’s signature towers above the Pledge of Allegiance.

Montagano, who holds a doctorate in history, said seeing the original documents after reading copies for years is a painful experience.

“I can’t tell you the joy of being able to see the documents in person,” said Montagano. “All of us, you know, are well aware and deeply immersed in the stories behind each script … as students of history, it’s amazing.”

The curation was inspired by the “Freedom Train” traveling exhibition, which took place from 1947 to 1949 and again in 1975-1976, the latter to celebrate the centennial of the founding of the US.

“These documents can only be seen for a certain amount of time, depending on the light, so we asked ourselves ‘How do we get to the most people?'” said Patrick Madden, CEO of the National Archives Foundation, a partner of the US Archive. “That’s where the plane comes in.”

Media gather around panels during a preview of the “Flight of Freedom” exhibit at the USC Fisher Museum of Art on April 16.

(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

The documents were displayed in one room of the museum, which was packed with history buffs and visitors who were careful not to flash the documents.

After seeing the stone carving of the Declaration of Independence, Gina Linn Espinoza said her mind raced with thoughts of history that brought us today. As a child of immigrants from Mexico, she said it reaffirmed the country’s early commitment to newcomers.

“None of us here grew up in the world, we all moved here,” said Espinoza. “The Declaration of Independence meant something [the founders]and they express that in our lives.”

He said he believes that seeing documents in person can make matters that are not clear clear.

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1. Voting record of the constitutional convention showing the final vote on the constitution (1787). 2. John Hancock signing the William Stone Engraving of the Declaration of Independence. 3. Details of the last page of the Bill of Rights: Senate revisions to House-passed amendments to the constitution. (Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

“We don’t know our history anymore,” said Espinoza. “It doesn’t seem like it’s being talked about at the kitchen table anymore. … I think it’s important that we go back, almost, to the basics about history.”

Espinoza only wished that more documents could be found for display. “It was very small… but you can feel it,” she said.

Lauren Chella, a middle school history teacher and communications facilitator, said many of her students often come to class with questions about a Supreme Court decision or new law.

Being able to go to the museum for free, he said, was an opportunity to “think critically” about creative writings. “Being able to interact with the documents themselves is very important,” says Chella. “That’s what my history teachers did for me, so it’s a really special opportunity here at the National Archives.”

A visitor looks at William Stone’s painting of the Declaration of Independence (1823).

(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)

Kratz said he hopes visitors to the exhibit not only take away the road map of the founding of the United States, but also the challenges that came with it.

“We always celebrate the 4th of July, our favorite holiday, but this was not the first time.” Kratz said.

The exhibition, which is open until May 3, is free with ticketed reservations.