"We the People …"

"of the United States in order to form a more perfect Union …" are the stirring and familiar words that begin the Constitution.

On this day in 1787, the landmark document was approved at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. It defines the U.S. system of government and is the oldest written national constitution in use.

In honor of that document, artist Mike Wilkins assembled his version of the preamble to the Constitution—made from personalized license plates that he ordered from all fifty states and the District of Columbia. Corresponding with state transportation officials to learn how many letters and numbers were allowed on each plate and getting approval for each took nearly a year.

In this image, we can enjoy the fruits of his perseverance!

Source: Encyclopædia Britannica Online at http://www.eb.com.

Pictured: Mike Wilkins, born 1959, Preamble, 1987, painted metal on vinyl and wood, 96 x 96 in., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Nissan Motor Corporation in U.S.A.