William James Stone
British, 1798 - 1865
Birth PlaceLondon, England
Death PlaceWashington, D.C., United States
William James Stone (1798–1865) was a prominent engraver and lithographer in Washington, D.C.
William James Stone was an English-born engraver, lithographer, and mapmaker. Born in London, he immigrated to the United States and established a print shop in Washington, D.C., in 1815. Stone operated his business on Pennsylvania Avenue, where he secured contracts from federal agencies, including the Department of State, the Department of War, and the U.S. Coast Survey. He produced official maps, military charts, and government documents. In 1820, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams officially commissioned Stone to replicate the Declaration of Independence. Stone utilized a process that involved transferring a faint ink impression from the original parchment onto a copper plate, which he then hand-engraved over three years. Congress authorized the printing of 200 copies from this plate in 1823.
William James Stone was an English-born engraver, lithographer, and mapmaker. Born in London, he immigrated to the United States and established a print shop in Washington, D.C., in 1815. Stone operated his business on Pennsylvania Avenue, where he secured contracts from federal agencies, including the Department of State, the Department of War, and the U.S. Coast Survey. He produced official maps, military charts, and government documents. In 1820, Secretary of State John Quincy Adams officially commissioned Stone to replicate the Declaration of Independence. Stone utilized a process that involved transferring a faint ink impression from the original parchment onto a copper plate, which he then hand-engraved over three years. Congress authorized the printing of 200 copies from this plate in 1823.