I’m in Washington, D.C. for the day job and I had a chance to do some sightseeing for a few hours this afternoon after I took care of some business.
I’ve been here twice before, but the most I had time for during the first trip was a quick walk around the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial (on the first anniversary of 9/11). The second trip was a one-day visit in 2005 that took me to the steps of the Supreme Court to shoot a portion of a corporate video, and then turnaround and go home. I briefly went inside the building but didn’t really get to look around.
Today, one of my quick stops was the National Archives and the display of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Wow.
I’m a history geek to start with, but I had been wanting to see those documents with my own eyes since grade school. The movie “National Treasure” was a teaser, when Nicholas Cage’s character steals the Declaration in an elaborate only-in-the-movies ruse.
If you get a chance to see these documents yourself, do it. There’s nothing that brings home American History like the good ol’ written word. It really came alive for me as I looked at those faded signatures. (Couldn’t believe some people behind me in line were complaining about the half-hour wait to get into the rotunda… C’mon!)
Makes you think, though. In this digital age, will our printed and computer-typed documents of the last 100 years, today and in the years ahead ever mean the same?
Will we be framing printouts of presidential emails in the National Archives collection, rather than personally signed letters and memos?
