'Conceived in Liberty Exhibition' - Original American Historic Documents of Freedom Opens in New York Ahead of July 4th

Items on display and for sale include a rare July 1776 broadside of the Declaration of Independence and George Washington’s “Justice and the Public Good” letter

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, June 26, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Ahead of the Nation’s 249th birthday, a new historical gallery on Manhattan’s Upper East Side showcases some of America’s rarest and most politically resonant documents. As debates rage across the country about civil liberties and executive power, the exhibition provides an opportunity to reflect on our foundational ideals through the very documents that shaped them.

Seth Kaller, a leading expert and dealer, has spent over three decades buying, selling, authenticating, appraising, and building collections for museums, universities, and individuals. Kaller’s exhibition comes at a time when Americans are grappling anew with what freedom means and what the founding fathers intended. Kaller’s companion catalog features over 100 historical documents and artifacts, many of which are now on display and for sale at the gallery at 29 East 72nd Street.

“These aren’t just relics,” says Kaller. “They are blueprints for liberty and warnings against tyranny. In 2025, they are as relevant as they were when they were drafted. Today they deserve, and perhaps demand, an even greater spotlight.”

Featured Items on Display and Available for Purchase:
Declaration of Independence - Rare July 1776 Broadside
On July 4, once the Continental Congress approved the Declaration, broadsides were printed to spread the news. This copy and others were passed from hand to hand or nailed to church or tavern doors, fueling revolution. This version is perhaps more ‘original’ than the signed ‘National Treasure’ document which was not actually penned and signed in July 1776. This broadside (a single page with text only on one side) was printed in New Hampshire around July 16th, once the news was received from Philadelphia. Only ten copies are known to survive.
$3,120,000

George Washington’s “Justice and the Public Good” Letter (1789)
In this extraordinary letter written just weeks before his inauguration, Washington emphasizes judgment, character, and devotion to the public good in selecting officers for the new government. Washington meant what he said. As questions of qualifications, loyalty, and the integrity of public service dominate national conversation, these words feel particularly urgent today.
$650,000

“King Andrew the First” Anti-Jackson Cartoon (1832)
A biting satire of President Andrew Jackson who, with the spoils system, replaced Washington’s “justice and the public good” ethic for choosing federal officers. This rare mezzotint shows Jackson crowned and cloaked like a monarch, trampling the Constitution underfoot.
$20,000

Trial of Printer John Peter Zenger, Establishing the Foundation for Freedom of the Press
After Zenger exposed the corruption of New York's royal governor, William Cosby retaliated. He had Zenger arrested and tried despite three grand juries refusing to indict. He fired a judge, packed a jury, and disbarred Zenger’s lawyers. Despite that, Zenger’s wife kept the newspaper running and inspired a Philadelphia lawyer to come to her husband’s defense. Andrew Hamilton boldly admitted that Zenger had printed the libelous criticisms but argued for the public’s right to speak the truth and oppose tyranny. “Power may justly be compared to a great river. While kept within its due bounds it is both beautiful and useful. But when it overflows its banks… it bears down all before it, and brings destruction and desolation wherever it comes.”

Though the judge instructed the jury to convict, they acquitted Zenger in just 10 minutes, setting a powerful precedent for jury independence and press freedom.

Without Zenger’s acquittal, how many of America’s founders would have found themselves imprisoned rather than able to meet in Continental Congress?
$3,500

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (1776)
The pamphlet that sparked independence. Paine wrote that “Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence,” required due to simple human nature. Since “government, at its best, is a necessary evil,” he thought it important to explain the advantages of democracy over one man rule.
$38,000

“These documents remind us that democracy isn’t guaranteed,” noted Kaller. “We’re not just displaying history. We’re encouraging people to reconsider these documents and events and bring them into the conversation as we all ask what the next chapter will look like and what our role is in writing it.”

Location & Hours
Seth Kaller, Inc. at 29 East 72nd Street, New York, NY
Open weekdays 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. and by appointment

Upcoming Promise of Liberty Exhibition
In 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Kaller will take his expanded “Promise of Liberty” exhibit nationwide. At the unique multidisciplinary Peoria Riverfront Museum, with filmmaker Ken Burns as the guest curator, the exhibition will open in early 2026 and feature historic documents, objects, and art on loan from private collectors including Alice Walton’s Art Bridges Foundation, Seth Kaller, Inc. clients and other private and institutional lenders. Bloomberg Connects will provide the gallery app. Museum venues in New York and additional cities will follow. For more details visit www.sethkaller.com
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Risa B. Hoag
GMG Public Relations, Inc.
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