Two similar documents have come up for auction recently. The second document is scheduled for auction in Ittigen, Switzerland on June 28, 2025. It certifies that John Backer Church owns five shares of the North American Land Company, signed by Robert Morris on May 28, 1795. (Invaluable Announcement) The first document is also a stock …
Continue reading ‘Temple’s Stock in the North American Land Company’ »
Maybe the most wonderful item I’ve seen come up for auction has appeared, coming up in California on July 3, 2025. It is this letter, pictured above, written by Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan on July 23, 1762. The full text of Franklin’s letter, as posted on the auction site, with some spacing, is: London, …
The Wikipedia page for William Temple Franklin, grandson of Benjamin, now has this unsourced paragraph: In addition to Théodore and Ellen, Temple Franklin had other children. He fathered a son, James William Franklin Sr., born on December 15, 1789, in Roaring River, North Carolina, who later married Nancy Amburgey and settled in Virginia, where he died in 1860. Temple …
NAPEX 2025 was held June 6-8 in McLean, Virginia. This event combines the national conventions for several philatelic societies as well as the Virginia Postal History Society. This year, one of three special themes, highlighted on the cover of its program, was “Celebrating the Semiquincentennial of Benjamin Franklin as First U.S. Postmaster General, 1775.” As …
I’m happy to announce and document the installation of another stained glass panel in honor of Franklin, Read With A Pen, installed May 26, 2025.– Martin Mangold, May 30, 2025 In May of 1760, Franklin was asked by his landlady’s daughter, Mary (“Polly”) Stevenson (1739-1795), how to become a philosopher. Polly was away from Craven …
Many thanks to Michael Geiger of San Diego for pointing out that the Franklin Gazette, Volume 16 #1, from Spring 2006, was posted here without page seven. This has been remedied on the Gazettes page, showing the completion of Philippe Alasseur’s article, “Franklin Abroad: The Americans at Passy and the Chalut Family Circle,” translated by …
This 15-minute video leaves little for me to complain of, a sweet review of classic Franklin reverence. I know nothing of its creation. MSN Posting
I was delighted and proud to receive word that earlier today, November 14, 2024, the building at 27-28 Queen Street in Derby was added to the National Heritage List for England by Historic England, designating it as a building of special architectural or historic interest, and giving it legal protection. This building has been the …
Eric Weiner’s new book (Ben & Me) comes out this month, and Politics and Prose is hosting some opening ceremonies on June 12th. I enjoy Eric’s work, and find this book to be a wonderful introduction to Franklin and a thoughtful exploration of his life, locations and lessons by a very companionable writer. Reflections on …
At long last, I have read Benjamin Franklin’s Printing Network: Disseminating Virtue in Early America by Ralph Frasca (University of Missouri Press, 2006). The author covers his topic well: the various people Franklin worked with in the course of repeated attempts to start subordinate businesses around North America. The importance of bookkeeping, especially keeping track …
