These collectors have turned American history into an art form

As America reaches its 250th anniversary, it’s good to remember that the history of our country is told through words, deeds and artifacts.The latter, which shake out as illuminating Americana, rank among the most tangible links to our glorious timeline — going from the American Revolution to the freeing of slaves to women gaining the right to vote to all 45 presidents.“Americana represents authentic history,” Louise Mirrer, president and CEO of the New York Historical, told The Post.

“Artifacts tell us what people were thinking about or saying or doing.People took the time to preserve these materials over the last 250 or more years, and they tell us about our past that binds us together.

That’s a really important message for today.”These collectors help tell America’s story with flags, documents, militaria and presidential memorabilia.When David Rubenstein began collecting documents, he did not start small.

His quest launched in 2007, when he bought a stamped Magna Carta at Sotheby’s for $21.3 million.“It was the one copy in private hands,” Rubenstein told The Post of the 1297 English charter of rights.“I thought it would be good to keep the document that inspired the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution in the United States.

I bought it and put it on permanent display at the National Archives.”From there, Rubenstein was hooked.He snagged nine of the rare 1823 facsimilies of the Declaration of Independence (the original, in the National Archives, is faded beyond readability), two Lincoln-signed copies of the Emancipation Proclamation and a 1789 broadside printing of the Bill of Rights.And he shares: Much of the collection — 7,000 paper-works strong — is in museums and archives and even baseball stadiums.

The idea is for as many people as possible to view the documents that made America great.Having earned his fortune as a co-founder of the Carlyle Group, Rubenstein, who owns the Baltimore Orioles, acknowledges that �...