Celebrating the words that empower democracy.
The democratic institutions that shape our modern world are worth fighting for — and the words that create them are worth celebrating.
That is the mission of this shop. And this mission has become even more vital in the current moment, as democracy in the United States and around the world has come under attack.
The documents you’ll find here are among the most important in human history, and the ideas they express are among the most profound and sublime in human thought. They declare the highest ideals of human society and create mechanisms for the intercultural and political exchange and cooperation that make those ideals a reality. The institutions these words build and protect have guaranteed liberty and freedom to millions upon millions of women, men, and children. They embody the greatest hope we have to spread freedom and democracy to millions more.
These prints aim to celebrate these words by making them readable and accessible. They follow several basic design principles.
First, the text uses consistent, readable typefaces. That’s part of the entire idea behind this shop: to help people connect with history’s greatest documents in a new and meaningful way. One aspect of that is putting the words of these documents into type that is readily accessible and readable. (Have you ever tried reading Timothy Matlack’s handwriting on the Declaration of Independence? It’s beautiful, though almost illegible to modern eyes.)
Second, though the text is modern in appearance, these prints are designed to reflect the original intent and respect the tone and dignity of these documents.
Third, while these items are available for purchase individually, they are meant to complement each other through a standard, coordinated, unified design that nonetheless reflects the individual history, intent, authorship, and origin of each document.
Words matter. Our institutions matter. Democracy matters.
Welcome to Great Documents.
