Arion Press crafts $3,000 Declaration of
San Francisco's Arion Press has produced a limited-edition, handcrafted tribute to the Declaration of Independence titled 'Declare: A Civic Gospel'.
Arion Press, a fine-press publisher based in San Francisco, has created a handcrafted tribute to the Declaration of Independence titled 'Declare: A Civic Gospel'. The limited-edition project, priced at $3,000 per copy, was produced for the nation's 250th birthday and involved over 50 writers and artisans.
According to a report from The New York Times, the press operates from a former military post turned arts hub, a setting that contrasts with its traditional methods. The artisans used printing processes similar to those from 1776 to create the work. Arion Press bills itself as the only printer in the country that makes books entirely by hand under one roof, from casting metal type to binding volumes.
The Contents of the Box
The project does not resemble a conventional book. It is presented as a simple blue box. Inside, various components are stacked like layers. The top layer is a bound collection of poems and essays. Underneath lies a broadside copy of the Declaration's preamble. Two pullout trays contain a set of artist-designed medallions. These medallions were made from the wood of trees that stood at Monticello during Thomas Jefferson's lifetime.
Ted Gioia, Arion’s program and development director, described the collection. He called it 'E Pluribus Unum in boxed-up form'. Gioia stated that the project is a rarefied product but is grounded in a belief that democracy is the work of many hands. 'America was founded in an act of printing,' Gioia said during a tour of the press this spring.
Production and Philosophy
The production of 'Declare: A Civic Gospel' is a testament to Arion Press's commitment to artisan craftsmanship. The press is located in a building that also houses a robotics lab, offering views of the Golden Gate Bridge. This juxtaposition of old and new is central to its identity. The press creates what the source calls 'dead-tree artifacts' in a city known for its technology industry.
Only 250 copies of the boxed set were made available, a number chosen for its resonance with the anniversary year. The project represents a significant collaborative effort. It blends historical materials with contemporary artistic reflection on the founding document. The high price point and limited availability position it as an object for collectors and institutions.
The work serves as a physical manifestation of the collaborative spirit behind democracy. It transforms a historical text into a multi-layered, tactile experience. The use of wood from Monticello directly connects the object to the era and environment of one of the Declaration's principal authors. The final product sits in its blue box, a quiet but elaborate monument to a nation's founding act of printing.
