The Signing of the Declaration of Independence

In 2022 we had the honor of working on a very special artifact for the Historical Society of Bensalem Township - a diorama entitled The Signing of the Declaration of Independence. The diorama artistically recreates the iconic scene of members of the Second Continental Congress signing of the Declaration of Independence in what was, at the time, the Assembly Room of Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, PA. You may now know the building as Independence Hall, part of Independence National Historical Park.

After treatment

Brief History of the Diorama

The Neshaminy Mall, located in Bensalem, PA, first opened its doors in 1968 with one of the anchor stores being local department store Strawbridge & Clothier (S&C). The story of most dioramas doesn’t start with the grand opening of a mall, but this is one of the reasons this diorama is special. G. Stockton Strawbridge, then chairman of S&C, was a well-known philanthropist and lover of local history. He commissioned the creation of seven dioramas, all portraying different scenes related to the area and city of Philadelphia’s history as a colony and during the American Revolution, to be placed into the new suburban branch store as an attraction to draw and entertain shoppers.

The seven dioramas became known as the Freedom Wall and based on historic images and personal accounts from local residents, they were something to see. Installed in the wall behind sheets of glass for protection, there were also seven brass plaques explaining the historical significance of each of the scenes. Above the dioramas hung a bronze clock, eight feet in diameter with a travertine marble face. This clock did not tell time, however. Instead, it marked when the figures in the dioramas would next come to life and begin moving while a high-quality soundtrack played, again telling the story of each carefully crafted scene. Each recording was about three to five minutes in length with about 15 minutes between each scene as it cycled through the seven dioramas throughout the day. The Hagley Digital Archives has a copy of a Strawbridge & Clothier’s Store Chat, a company magazine for employees, from September 1968 that features two articles on the opening of the mall and the dioramas. Make sure to give them a read for the great quotes and pictures, including a picture of The Signing of the Declaration of Independence.

With the passage of time also came changes. In 2005, S&C, now known as Strawbridge’s, was acquired by Macy’s Inc., and the anchor store eventually changed names from Strawbridge’s to Macy’s. The dioramas remained in the Macy’s, but they were no longer the attraction they once were. The animatronic shows with music and a voice track were no longer activated, and eventually the dioramas became static displays without even their bronze plaques to explain the history portrayed in each scene. The Macy’s closed in 2017, and the future of the dioramas was thrown into question. Behind the scenes, members of the Historical Society of Bensalem Township immediately began working to try and save the dioramas. Their efforts were a success in 2021 when the new owner of the former S&C/Macy’s building donated all seven dioramas to the historical society, allowing the historical society to remove them from the building with the help and support of the Mayor’s Office and the Bensalem Township Municipal Government. In March 2021, the first four dioramas were removed. Three were placed into storage, and the fourth, The Signing of the Declaration of Independence, was moved to the Bensalem Township Municipal Building. With its future ensured and the placement in its new home finalized, the Historical Society of Bensalem Township decided the diorama needed to undergo a thorough cleaning and conservation treatment to ensure its preservation for the future. This is where our conservators came into the story.

The Makings of the Diorama

G. Stockton Strawbridge hired Tommy Rowland, Inc. to create the seven dioramas - a studio out of Staten Island managed by Mrs. Tommy Rowland, who was already well-known throughout the country for specializing in animated store window displays. The Freedom Wall, however, was the first permanent series of this size and scope for the studio. Rowland, the designer and developer of the scenes, worked with six other employees to craft all aspects of the seven dioramas, including the machinery and electronics needed to make the figures move.

Image: Thomas Jefferson, during treatment

The Signing of the Declaration of Independence comprises a decorated room filled with furniture and thirty-three figures representing different members of the Second Continental Congress, including well known founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and George Washington. The scale of the diorama is approximately 1:4 life size, meaning the figures are about 24 to 26 inches in height. The figures are all handcrafted, made from painted paper, wearing clothes made from painted textiles and styles wigs made from doll hair.

Tommy Rowland was responsible for making each of the 33 figures, painting their faces, and physically positioning them in the diorama after her fellow studio members dressed them. During treatment, we discovered that many of the figures backsides were left incomplete. Only meant to be seen from the front, viewers would not have seen many of the figures backs or limbs - so the creators never finished them! Other materials used to create the decorations, furniture, and other items needed to set the scene of the diorama include wood, metal and metal foil, and feathers.

The Signing of the Declaration of Independence is the largest of the seven dioramas in terms of display area, but all of the dioramas’ overall display units are about the same size, approximately 90 inches high x 90 inches wide x 39 inches deep. Why so large? Remember, each display unit had to hold all the necessary mechanical and electrical components needed to make the figures move. The Signing of the Declaration of Independence has two separate motorized systems to move nine figures in total throughout the diorama.

The inner mechanics of the diorama, still operating today after treatment

When designing the scene, it is evident that Tommy Rowland drew upon the famous painting, The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, by the artist John Trumbull who painted in the early-Federal period (c.1790-1801). While there are notable differences between the diorama’s composition and Trumbull’s painting, such as Benjamin Franklin bent in the act of signing the Declaration of Independence in the diorama versus standing upright while only presenting the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress in the painting, Rowland also copied many unique features from Trumbull’s painting. For example, Rowland positioned Stephan Hopkins, a delegate to the Continental Congress from Rhode Island and signer of the Declaration of Independence, in the proper back right corner of the diorama, the same place Trumbull placed Hopkins in his painting, wearing the same distinctive hat - a wideawake hat.

Treatment: What We Did

After over 50 years of display in the mall, the diorama was in relatively stable condition, but definitely in need of conservation. Our first step was to gently reduce the thick layer of dust and grime on the surface of the figures, floor, and walls. To do so, we used a HEPA filtered vacuum with micro-tool attachments. After a first pass, the team then spent hours using shaped sponges and soft bristle brushes to remove embedded grime on more delicate surfaces.

Cleaning the diorama

The removal of the dirt and grime revealed previously unknown condition and construction details that were not originally visible, such as a detailed pattern in the blue rug painted onto the floor beneath the table in the foreground of the diorama. The figures were in conditions of varying degrees ranging from ones in good condition with minor damage to those in fair condition that were determined to be more unstable and suffering from more extensive material losses of paint, hair, and even body parts. Poor Thomas Jefferson lost his right hand at some point over the years, which you can see on the table below Jefferson’s empty ruffled shirt cuff. Some of the architectural and decorative elements were mislocated, while some of the paint pigments had faded over time.

The fragile and unstable areas were consolidated using conservation grade materials. The figures’ hair, clothing, and broken pieces and the setting’s architectural elements were reattached with a reversible adhesive. For example, make sure to take note of the difference in the display of the British military flags on the back wall in the before and after photos. Prior to treatment, elements such as tassels, spear tips, and a trumpet had become mislocated over time. The team reattached them in their proper place during treatment. On a side note, the display of the British military flags is definitely one of the historically inaccurate details Rowland copied from Trumbull’s painting - they definitely would not have been displayed in that room in 1776!  But in terms of restoration, no detail was too small for the team when it came to bringing the diorama to a more exhibitable state, down to missing buttons that were replaced with conservation grade paper toned to match the surrounding elements.

Buttons missing from this figure’s cuffs were recreated using archival paper and watercolors

Lastly, the team judiciously inpainted losses and scattered marks throughout the diorama, particularly on the figures in the diorama’s foreground. Unfortunately, some areas like the green and blue paint on some figures’ jackets, the paint was too sensitive to inpaint with either water-based or solvent-based inpainting media. This is important to note because as conservators, we do not want to take any action that will cause additional damage to the remaining, original material. This is one of the most important ethics in conservation and something we take seriously. In this instance, the losses were consolidated and stabilized to decrease the risk of further loss in the future, but they are still visible upon very close inspection. Sometimes it is not about making something look like new, but making sure it will be preserved for the future.

With the treatment complete, the diorama was ready to be plugged in! Prior to our treatment, the Historical Society of Bensalem had the diorama’s two motorized systems rewired so that they could be safely used once again. On our end, it was important to check that the animated figures were stabilized enough to endure animation and their movements did not disturb nearby figures or elements. It was an overall success!  The treatment resulted in a diorama that could be exhibited and safely animated once again. The vibrancy of the diorama’s colors was restored, and the broken and dislocated pieces were realigned and secured, improving the visual appearance of the display. Now, when visitors see the diorama, they can focus their attention on the historical scene, its overall craftsmanship, the movements of the figurines, and the story the diorama continues to tell.

On top of helping to bring this historical piece back to life, one of our team’s favorite parts of working on this artifact on site was being gifted with the stories of locals throughout our treatment time, recalling the childhood joy of seeing the dioramas in their original location in the mall. We are truly honored that we were allowed to perform this restoration on the diorama and to help preserve it for future generations to make their own memories.