National Archives to ban photography of documents including Declaration of Independence

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Tourists will soon be banned from taking photographs or video at the National Archives main exhibit hall in an effort to better protect the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights.

A rule posted in today’s Federal Register will take effect Feb. 24.

About a million visitors pass through the exhibit each year. Although there’s already a ban on flash photography, archives officials say visitors still shoot about 50,000 flashes of light at the historic documents each year.

That light and ultraviolet radiation can damage the documents and cause the ink to fade.

The archives expects the ban on photography to improve the flow of visitor traffic.

-- Associated Press