Dunlap Broadside Declaration Visits Maine Museum
Bowdoin College Museum of Art displayed a Dunlap Broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence on October 30 and 31 as part of a statewide tour.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Fine Art
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The Bowdoin College Museum of Art displayed a Dunlap Broadside copy of the Declaration of Independence on October 30 and 31, drawing over 2,400 visitors over two days. The document has toured 16 locations across Maine with the Maine Historical Society since July 4.
Why it matters
The tour was conceived to bring the Maine Historical Society collection to a statewide audience during the 250th anniversary of American independence. The Bowdoin stop was the most trafficked of the entire tour, reflecting strong public interest in the document in Maine.
The Bowdoin exhibit drew over 2,400 visitors across two days, making it the most trafficked stop among the 16 Maine locations on the tour. Visitor figures for the remaining stops were not reported in the extraction.
The players
Bowdoin College Museum of Art
The university art museum at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, which hosted the Dunlap Broadside display in its rotunda.
Maine Historical Society
The statewide historical organization that holds the collection and organized the 16-location tour of the Dunlap Broadside across Maine.
Stephen Perkinson
The Interim Director of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, overseeing the institution during the exhibit.
Catherine Cyr
The Maine Historical Society Exhibition and Content Curator who accompanied the Declaration of Independence on its statewide tour.
The details
The Dunlap Broadside, printed by John Dunlap on the evening of July 4, 1776, was displayed in the rotunda of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. The copy does not include the original signatures of the 56 delegates, and Catherine Cyr, the Maine Historical Society Exhibition and Content Curator, accompanied the document as it traveled the state to provide interpretation and ensure proper care.
Timeline
July 4, 1776: John Dunlap printed the Declaration broadside after Congress drafted it.
July 4, 2026: The Dunlap Broadside tour began across Maine for the 250th anniversary.
October 30-31, 2026: The Dunlap Broadside was displayed at Bowdoin College Museum of Art.
Seasonal Patterns
The Maine tour extends the 1776 Dunlap Broadside printing into a 250th-anniversary display, placing a document first distributed in print form on July 4, 1776 before American audiences. The tour's 16 stops across all 16 Maine counties mark a deliberate statewide public presentation of that original printing.
Residents who missed the Bowdoin display can check the Maine Historical Society for the remaining tour schedule and locations. The Bowdoin exhibit was open to visitors over two days, so future stops will be the next opportunity to see the document in person.
The takeaway
Historic documents like the Declaration of Independence can be seen firsthand when institutions take them on the road. Check local museum and historical society listings to find out when a traveling exhibit is coming to your area.
Further reading
Explore more Fine Art coverage to see how museums across the state present historic documents to the public.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Bowdoinorient.
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