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Historical Documents

Since the 1950s, NIST has been called upon to keep some of our most cherished documents safe, secure and available for public viewing within encasements that are truly technological wonders. 

NIST experts created bespoke encasements for the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

NIST staff created a custom case for the first map to use the word «America» in it.

You can view the Magna Carta at the National Archives, thanks to preservation efforts to create a state-of-the-art encasement.

Experts created a custom case to preserve the Emancipation Proclamation for long-term public viewing.

Created June 19, 2017, Updated July 24, 2025
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