How to Protect the Constitution (Literally)

The frames around the cases that protect the original versions of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence are made of pure titanium coated with gold that matches the Rotunda of the National Archives Building. Inside the cases, each document sits on an individually machined aluminum platform, perforated so that moisture can reach the back of the parchment, keeping it supple. Tempered and laminated glass, calibrated to a thickness of three-eighths of an inch, closes the documents in and blocks out harmful high-frequency wavelengths of the light spectrum. The glass is anti-glare, for the viewing pleasure of the more than one million people who pay nothing to view the documents each year.