Join us for a special conversation between visiting artist Ross Birrell, historian Emily Sneff, author of the book, When the Declaration of Independence Was News (Oxford University Press, 2026), Yvette Shen (OSU Design), and Richard Finlay Fletcher (OSU Arts Administration, Education and Policy).
As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the textual form in which this momentous document moved through the world was not only impactful at the time but also has significance today. Both the Declaration and the Constitution were originally printed in the Caslon Typeface, which was created by William Caslon in London in 1722 and became a favored typeface of Benjamin Franklin for his Philadelphia print shop.
Scottish artist and Senior Researcher in Interdisciplinary Practice at the Glasgow School of Art Ross Birrell used the Caslon Typeface for his banner democracy to come (2015) made as part of commemoration in the UK around the emergence of parliament as an institution of democratic governance. The banner is dedicated to Simon de Montfort, an English statesman of French origin, who appears as one of 23 marble relief portraits over the gallery doors of the House Chamber in the US Capitol.
To celebrate the power of words and their design through the ages in this commemoration year, Birrell’s banner will be brought to OSU to be displayed in the Sullivant Hall Rotunda for the month of November 2026, accompanied by a series of special events.
Co-sponsored by The Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise, OSU Department of Design, OSU Department of Arts Administration, Education and Policy, and OSU Department of History.
