IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Declaration of Independence, nearly 250 years old, draws millions of visitors from across the country. But the National Archives came to Tim Barrett and the University of Iowa around 25 years ago, offering a chance to be part of its storied history.
The agency wanted special archival paper to preserve the aging documents in its new encasing. Looking for a barrier for the Declaration to sit on, they came to the then-director for the University of Iowa’s Center for the Book.
“The paper underneath those documents was not made in any other state, it was made in Iowa,” Barrett said. “We kind of had a reputation in that area. And they knew more or less of what they wanted and asked for a proposal from us.”…