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 …
Following up on Bumping into Franklin on the West Wing, I found a sweet connection to a dear friend. The seated statuette is a copy of the James Earle Fraser statue at the headquarters of the Franklin Life Insurance Company, Springfield, Illinois, dedicated in 1949. The Sangamon County Historical Society presents the statue on SangamonLink, …
The Family Archives of the Hopkinson family came to auction in June 2020. One item is a book given by Dr. Franklin to Francis Hopkinson, with this commentary from the auction catalog: Thomas Hopkinson (1709 – 1751), father of Francis Hopkinson (1737 – 1791) , worked with Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790) on several of …
These are two of my favorite topics: Franklin and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. The two overlap in many ways, but I want to start with a quote of the library’s founder that I came across for the first time today. Henry Folger traced his line back to Abiah’s father, Peter. Henry once …
The removing of the statue of George Whitfield from the University of Pennsylvania campus is disturbing to those of us unaware of Whitfield’s “advocating for slavery.” The mention in this Press Release reads: “Whitefield’s connection to Penn stems from a church meeting house he owned at 4th and Arch streets in Philadelphia, which was purchased …
Frank Romano has given me seven minutes of dense happiness by this breezy collection of Franklin tributes. Thanks! Frank Romano Video See Also Original Story on WhatTheyThink, published July 10, 2020. Museum of Printing in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
I’m looking forward to Edward J. Larson’s book, Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership, which was released on February 11, 2020. I found my copy on the shelf in a wonderful bookstore (Four Seasons Books in Shepherdstown, West Virginia) a few days ago. George Washington knew how to say goodbye, as seen in the profound …
The Closure Committee of the Friends of Franklin gathered in New Haven in November 2018 to donate the remaining funds of the Friends to the Papers of Benjamin Franklin in honor of Claude-Anne Lopez. Claude-Anne worked at the Papers for many years and started the Friends of Franklin as her “gift to the Papers.” We …
There are wonderful pictures of the grave of Benjamin’s sister-in-law on the Atlas Obscura website I’m personally a big fan of FindAGrave, but this can’t be beat. Congratulations, and thanks!
This informative page by BBC News is a valuable introduction to Benjamin Lay. May 2018 article in the Washington Post: The Quaker abolitionist disowned by his faith for condemning slave owners.
