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A bronze statue of a seated
"Benjamin Franklin, (sculpture)"
''SIRIS'' In 1938, when the Post Office was razed, the City gave the statue on permanent loan to the
File:Franklin statue, Philadelphia, PA Detroit Pub. Co. c.1906 (cropped).jpg, The statue in its original location outside the Main Post Office, Philadelphia,
File:Benjamin Franklin.JPG, The cast in Paris
A bronze statue of a seated Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
by John J. Boyle is installed at the University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. It is located in front of College Hall, on Locust Walk, between 34th and 36th Streets, and is one of three statues of Franklin on the campus.
Details
It was commissioned by department store founder Justus C. Strawbridge in 1896, as a gift to the City of Philadelphia. It was cast by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company of New York, and installed in 1899 in front of Philadelphia's Main Post Office, at 9th and Chestnut Streets.Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
was the first United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General (PMG) is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service (USPS). The PMG is responsible for managing and directing the day-to-day operations of the agency.
The PMG is selected and appointed by ...
. The granite pedestal was designed by architect Frank Miles Day
Frank Miles Day (April 5, 1861 – June 15, 1918) was a Philadelphia-based architect who specialized in residences and academic buildings.
Career
In 1883, he graduated from the Towne School of the University of Pennsylvania, and traveled to Europe ...
. Its inscription quotes President George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
's eulogy of Franklin:
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN(On back of pedestal):
1706–1790
VENERATED
FOR BENEVOLENCE
ADMIRED FOR TALENTS
ESTEEMED FOR PATRIOTISM
BELOVED FOR
PHILANTHROPY
WASHINGTON
PRESENTED TO THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA BY JUSTUS C STRAWBRIDGE 1899(On back of statue):
JOHN J. BOYLE 1899A signed Founder's mark also appears on the back of the statue.
HENRY-BONNARD BRONZE CO FOUNDERS NY 1899
GIFT OF JUSTUS C STRAWBRIDGE
''SIRIS'' In 1938, when the Post Office was razed, the City gave the statue on permanent loan to the
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universitie ...
. Franklin played a major role in establishing the university. It was relocated to the Penn campus, and rededicated on January 21, 1939.
It was cleaned and reinstalled in 1980.
Replica
A copy of the statue was given by the New England Society to France in 1906. It is located at theTrocadéro
The Trocadéro (), site of the Palais de Chaillot, is an area of Paris, France, in the 16th arrondissement, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. It is also the name of the 1878 palace which was demolished in 1937 to make way for the Palais ...
in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
.
Gallery
See also
*Benjamin Franklin in popular culture
Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, has appeared in popular culture as a character in novels, films, musicals, comics and video games. His experiment, using a kite, to prove that lightning is a form ...
* List of public art in Philadelphia
This is a list of public artworks in Philadelphia. The Association for Public Art estimates the city has thousands of public artworks; the Smithsonian lists more than 700. Since 1959 nearly 400 works of public art have been created as part of ...
References
External links
* *https://www.flickr.com/photos/universityofpennsylvania/4326061936/ *https://web.archive.org/web/20120330062816/http://www.pps.org/great_public_spaces/one?public_place_id=631 {{Penn, state=expanded 1899 establishments in Pennsylvania 1899 sculptures Philadelphia, College Hall Bronze sculptures in Pennsylvania Monuments and memorials in Philadelphia Outdoor sculptures in Philadelphia Sculptures of men in Pennsylvania Statues in Pennsylvania University of Pennsylvania campus Relocated buildings and structures in Pennsylvania