Vintage Film
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
Archive of posts tagged Benjamin Franklin
Queen Street, Derby
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 …
Welcoming Ben & Me
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 …
Franklin’s Printing Network
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 …
Locating Franklin’s Print Shops
One nice result of the celebrations of October 6, 2023 in Philadelphia was that Roy Goodman put me in touch with Richard Armandi, a long-time Franklinian who is particularly interested in the original locations of Franklin’s printing businesses. The suggestion from Franklin Court is that all of Franklin’s business was housed on that property, which …
Franklin’s Arrival – 300th Anniversary
Franklin first arrived in Philadelphia on October 6, 1723, and the 300th anniversary is easy to celebrate!
Benjamin Franklin’s Last Bet
This book would be fine as a first book on Franklin, because the author starts from not knowing much about him, and touches meaningfully on every fundamental facet of Franklin that I can think of. He goes on to cover his topic very well. Most Franklin fans are not particularly interested in what happened to …
The Young Benjamin Franklin
From my Goodreads review of Nick Bunker’s wonderful book: Without question, my Book of the Year, so far. One of the best books on Franklin, this takes many episodes one reads right past in his Autobiography (and standard biographies) and goes deeper.The definition of “young” is generous: Franklin is forty years old before this author …
Franklin the Southpaw
Benjamin Franklin is often cited as a left-handed person. I believe this flows from his Petition of the Left Hand, an essay about the feelings of the left hand itself. Artist Dean Morrissey appears among those convinced, as he features Franklin with a quill in his left hand in this lovely modern portrait: One of …
Yale Closure Visit 2018
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 …