Independence Day Celebration and Festival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Known as the First American, Benjamin Franklin was one of the nations Founding Father and signer of both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. He was also a Postmaster, author, printer, and inventor.

In 1738, at the age of 21, Franklin would make his first impression on America when he would go under the name of Richard Saunders. He would use that name to print and publish his book Poor Richards Almanack. Franklin would make his fortune from writing this book, and even though the people knew Richard Saunders was Ben Franklin, Franklin never stopped using the name. Poor Richards Almanak was a book that contained a calender, jokes, riddles, puzzles, and weather for the whole year. It was distributed throughout the colonies and Franklin would print out around 10000 copies a year. In 1758, Franklin would stop publishing this annual book to persue all his other duties as an American.

Franklin would become known by the world through his many inventions. These inventions included, the lightning rod, Franklin Stove, and bifocals. It was his lightning rod that would become a success. Franklin realized that by having a tip on a rod, and standing in lightning, the tip would extract the lightning cause electric currency. It was a big experiment that would lead to electricity. It was Franklin that realize what electric current was and used the terms negative and positive currents.

Franklin was born in Boston, Ma but made his name as an author, printer, and inventor in Philadelphia, Pa. His printing helped serve the colonies, his inventing helped serve the world, but he still was able to help out the city where he made his name. He helped found a fire station for the city of Philadelphia in 1736. The Union Fire Station was the first fire volunteer station in America. In 1743, Franklin would be a founder of the Academy and College of Philadelphia. Franklin wanted a school of higher education to help educate the people of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Today, the academy is called the University of Pennsylvania. In 1751, Franklin also founded the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. It was the first full size hospital in America.

After a trip short stay in London, Franklin saw first hand at how Americans were viewed there and supported the American cause for freedom. He returned home in 1775 just as the American Revolution was beginning. One of the first acts of the new Continental Congress was to design a new postal system for the colonies. This was because the Stamp Act of 1765 where the Queen placed all new taxes on anything posted in the colonies. Franklin was a Postmaster and ran his own post office next to his printing office. Congress would name Franklin the 1st Postmaster General of the Colonies, later the United States. It was Franklin who established the United States Post Office.

In 1776, Franklin was appointed as a delegate from Pennsylvania to the 2nd Continental Congress. There, he would sign the Declaration of Independence. After he signed the document, Franklin was elected as a Minister to France and sent to France to help persuade the French to support the colonies in their war for freedom. The French were not quick to jump into this cause for they didnt think the Americans could win. After a couple big victories, Franklin helped convinced them to join the cause and the war would quickly take a turn for the American cause. After the war, Franklin stayed in France till 1785 to help form a military alliance with France.

Returning back to America in 1785, Franklin was view as a champion to American Independence, second only to George Washington. He would again serve for the Congress in 1787 where he would sign the United States Constitution as a delegate of Pennsylvania. He would then retire from politics spending the last 3 years of his life finishing his autobiography.

This bust of Benjamin Franklin is located in the 2nd Bank of the United States in Philadelphia, Pa.

Known as the First American, Benjamin Franklin was one of the nations Founding Father and signer of both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. He was also a Postmaster, author, printer, and inventor.

In 1738, at the age of 21, Franklin would make his first impression on America when he would go under the name of Richard Saunders. He would use that name to print and publish his book Poor Richards Almanack. Franklin would make his fortune from writing this book, and even though the people knew Richard Saunders was Ben Franklin, Franklin never stopped using the name. Poor Richards Almanak was a book that contained a calender, jokes, riddles, puzzles, and weather for the whole year. It was distributed throughout the colonies and Franklin would print out around 10000 copies a year. In 1758, Franklin would stop publishing this annual book to persue all his other duties as an American.

Franklin would become known by the world through his many inventions. These inventions included, the lightning rod, Franklin Stove, and bifocals. It was his lightning rod that would become a success. Franklin realized that by having a tip on a rod, and standing in lightning, the tip would extract the lightning cause electric currency. It was a big experiment that would lead to electricity. It was Franklin that realize what electric current was and used the terms negative and positive currents.

Franklin was born in Boston, Ma but made his name as an author, printer, and inventor in Philadelphia, Pa. His printing helped serve the colonies, his inventing helped serve the world, but he still was able to help out the city where he made his name. He helped found a fire station for the city of Philadelphia in 1736. The Union Fire Station was the first fire volunteer station in America. In 1743, Franklin would be a founder of the Academy and College of Philadelphia. Franklin wanted a school of higher education to help educate the people of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. Today, the academy is called the University of Pennsylvania. In 1751, Franklin also founded the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia. It was the first full size hospital in America.

After a trip short stay in London, Franklin saw first hand at how Americans were viewed there and supported the American cause for freedom. He returned home in 1775 just as the American Revolution was beginning. One of the first acts of the new Continental Congress was to design a new postal system for the colonies. This was because the Stamp Act of 1765 where the Queen placed all new taxes on anything posted in the colonies. Franklin was a Postmaster and ran his own post office next to his printing office. Congress would name Franklin the 1st Postmaster General of the Colonies, later the United States. It was Franklin who established the United States Post Office.

In 1776, Franklin was appointed as a delegate from Pennsylvania to the 2nd Continental Congress. There, he would sign the Declaration of Independence. After he signed the document, Franklin was elected as a Minister to France and sent to France to help persuade the French to support the colonies in their war for freedom. The French were not quick to jump into this cause for they didnt think the Americans could win. After a couple big victories, Franklin helped convinced them to join the cause and the war would quickly take a turn for the American cause. After the war, Franklin stayed in France till 1785 to help form a military alliance with France.

Returning back to America in 1785, Franklin was view as a champion to American Independence, second only to George Washington. He would again serve for the Congress in 1787 where he would sign the United States Constitution as a delegate of Pennsylvania. He would then retire from politics spending the last 3 years of his life finishing his autobiography.

This Benjamin Franklin statue is located at the Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington DC.

Da 2 of the Disney Expo. August 15th 2015

ǝıp ɹo 'uıoɾ

Captured at Eastern State Penitentiary, mostly in the non-public areas — with NJ Photo Crew

Da 2 of the Disney Expo. August 15th 2015

Engraving of John Jay (1745-1829) after portrait by Gilbert Stuart and John Trumbull (JHC Archives) The original painting was done circa 1783

JAY PROPERTY -

1838 PETER AUGUSTUS JAY HOUSE -

JAY HERITAGE CENTER

The Jay Property in Rye is the boyhood home of the only one of the seven Founding Fathers (Jay, Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, Adams, Franklin) native to New York, John Jay (1745-1829). It is a National Historic Landmark site - the recipient of the highest historic designation possible granted to just under 2500 sites in America.

Located next to a marshlands preserve with public trails, and close to the private Jay Cemetery where Jay himself is buried with his descendants, this sylvan and historic 23 acre park is all that remains of the original 400 acre Jay family estate where the negotiator of the Treaty of Paris grew up. Jay was the only 1 of the 7 Founding Fathers to serve in every branch of government including as Governor of New York State.

His childhood home, located just 35 minutes from Manhattan, has a 10,000 year old scenic vista of Long Island Sound over a meadow bordered by sunken stone ha-ha walls, a European garden design feature added by Jay’s eldest son circa 1822. It is also located on the historic Boston Post Road.

The centerpiece of this National Historic Landmark is an 1838 Greek Revival mansion with soaring stylized columns built by Peter Augustus Jay atop the footprint of his father and grandfather’s original home “The Locusts” reusing original timbers and nails from the same house. Visitors can literally see the layers of history being uncovered here. The PA Jay House is being carefully restored and managed by the not-for-profit organization, the Jay Heritage Center (JHC) for use as an educational facility hosting Programs in American History, Social Justice, Landscape Conservation and Environmental Stewardship. The house is an official project of the Save America’s Treasures Program and at 172 years old, it is the oldest National Historic Landmark structure in New York State to be using an energy efficient geothermal heating and cooling system. It is also a Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area site.

The Jay site is also listed on Westchester County’s African American Heritage Trail. John Jay is well known for advocating emancipation, serving as President of the Manumission Society (1785-90 - Alexander Hamilton was the second President of the Society) and establishing the first African Free School with 12 students in 1787. His son Peter Augustus was also President of the Manumission Society and a vocal advocate of voting suffrage for freed blacks at the 1821 New York Convention.

A second building being restored by the JHC, is the 1907 Van Norden Carriage House, a Classical Revival masterpiece in its own right; it serves as the JHC Visitor Center and houses the permanent exhibit “The Design of Providence” that explores the cultural imprints that mankind leaves on the landscape and how that very same landscape shapes human character and behavior.

Tours of the 1838 Peter Augustus Jay House are held on Sundays from 2-5 pm May 1st through October 1st and by appointment. The 1907 Carriage House is open year round, Wednesdays through Fridays, 10:00 - 5:00 pm. For more information and to arrange group tours, please contact the Jay Heritage Center at (914) 698-9275.

Jay Heritage Center

210 Boston Post Road

Rye, NY 10580

(914) 698-9275

Email: jayheritagecenter@gmail.com

www.jayheritagecenter.org

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www.jayheritagecenter.org

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A National Historic Landmark since 1993

Member of the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County since 2004

Member of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area since 2009

On NY State's Path Through History (2013)

The new 100 dollar bill has recently come out. If you have not seen one yet you will probably be shocked by how "fake" it seems. The paper itself has a different feel to it. The new bill has a bunch of built in anti-counterfeiting measures such as the blue ribbon down the center, a watermark (on the right) and a couple of holograms. The former 100 dollar note was the most counterfeited bill in the world. North Koreans had mastered faking the bills. Those counterfeits are known as "supermotes" and are extremely tough to detect.

Statue of Benjamin Franklin atop the cupola of the Franklin County Courthouse in downtown Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

Ben Schumin is a professional photographer who captures the intricacies of daily life. This image is all rights reserved. Contact me directly for licensing information.

"This is one of some 230 markers erected on the Boston Post Road in 1763.

Their locations were fixed by Benjamin Franklin the Deputy Postmaster General who for that purpose drove a chaise with a distance recorder over the route.

Restored to this its original position June 1st, 1927, by the village of Rye."

"Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set." (Proverbs XXII Verse 28.)

A charming depiction of Ben Franklin traveling the Boston Post Road circa 1763 can be found at the US Department of Transportation's website: www.fhwa.dot.gov/rakeman/1763.htm

But is it the milestone above an original or a replacement? It is made of fragile sandstone and similar stones in the Westchester area have been dated to the early 1800s which raises questions about the claims made on the plaque. There is also a school of thought based on Franklin's own letters and whereabouts that says he may not have supervised placement of any of the stones.

Whatever their actual date, they are still likely to be at least over 200 years old and are valuable historical resources illustrating our American heritage. 2 of these stones can still be seen outdoors in Rye - #24 and #25. Want to find other markers on the Boston Post Road? Go to the Historical Marker database at www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=34587

Today all that remains of the 400 acre Jay estate is the 23 acre Jay Property bounded in front by the length of this stone wall on Boston Post Road from the entrance at 210 all the way to Barlow Lane. It is a historic site and park with 3 owners, the Jay Heritage Center, NY State, and Westchester County; it is open to the public for historical and educational programs.

Of course Franklin and Jay along with Adams would be forever remembered together for their roles in negotiating the Treaty of Paris in 1783 as "The Peace Commissioners."

www.historynow.org/09_2009/historian7.html

www.benfranklin300.org/frankliniana/result.php?id=539&...

[O]ne of America's intrinsic sacred sites --'specially special,' if you like -- because a great family's great house and its great and sweeping surrounding landscape have, almost miraculously, both survived intact and are now a permanent part of the America the next centuries of Americans will build." Tony Hiss, Author, Experience of Place.

Jay Heritage Center

210 Boston Post Road

Rye, NY 10580

(914) 698-9275

Email: jayheritagecenter@gmail.com

www.jayheritagecenter.org

Follow and like us on:

Twitter @jayheritage

Facebook www.facebook.com/jayheritagecenter

Pinterest www.pinterest.com/jaycenter

YouTube www.youtube.com/channel/UChWImnsJrBAi2Xzjn8vR54w

www.jayheritagecenter.org

www.instagram.com/jayheritagecenter/

A National Historic Landmark since 1993

Member of the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County since 2004

Member of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area since 2009

On NY State's Path Through History (2013)

Much bigger-than-life size sculpture of Ben Franklin at his printing press was presented to the City of Philadelphia by Pennsylvania Freemasons and dedicated on June 27, 1981 by The Grand Lodge Free and Accepted Masons of Pennsylvania.

www.susanfordcollins.com

Da 2 of the Disney Expo. August 15th 2015

Photo by Scott H. Spitzer

The Printing Office and Bindery, at 320 Market Street in Franklin Court, features a typesetting area, two reproduction 18th century printing presses, and a binder. Park Services Rangers offer printing demonstrations. Bookbinding was a trade separate from printing--where artist ants turned printed sheets into pamphlets and books.

Franklin Court cuts through an entire city block on the former site of Benjamin Franklin's home at 316-322 Market Street. Although razed in 1812, a "Ghost House" frame, built by Robert Venturi in 1976 for the Bicentennial, depicts the exact positions of the original 3-story house, 33 square-foot, ten-room house and adjacent print shop, while excavations underneath reveal the original foundations, privy pits, and wells. Six museums on the site, also built in 1976 for the Bicentennial, trace Franklin's life as a publisher, politician, postmaster, printer and inventor.

Captured at Eastern State Penitentiary, mostly in the non-public areas — with NJ Photo Crew

On Thursday, June 9, 2011, North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey was joined by City Council Members in placing the Gadsden Flag atop the South Carolina State Flag in protest of the State’s ongoing plan to place an intermodal rail facility on the former Navy Base with northern rail access.

The historical flag was designed and named after American General Christopher Gadsden, a South Carolina statesman during the American Revolution. It has a bright yellow field and a depiction of a coiled, ready to strike, rattlesnake with “DONT TREAD ON ME” text beneath.

Benjamin Franklin published an essay in the Pennsylvania Journal in December 1775, in which he stated of the symbolism of the snake:

She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal.

Mayor Summey explains the decision to switch the flags:

Just as with the American colonist, we are defending ourselves from a larger state, not standing idly by and allowing the quality of life of the citizens of North Charleston to be treaded upon. The State struck first when it confiscated land on the former navy base through eminent domain and purchased other tracts with the clear intent of dishonoring previous agreements between itself and the City of North Charleston.

Demagoguery has been used, painting the City as anti-port, anti-rail, and anti-business. Since incorporating in 1972, North Charleston has been a staunch proponent of each. We are home to vast and expanding port activities, location of all Lowcountry intermodal rail facilities, and the industrial and manufacturing epicenter of the State of South Carolina.

Photo by Ryan Johnson

Rocky, Ben Franklin and RBG. Now that's a dinner party,

The new 100 dollar bill has recently come out. If you have not seen one yet you will probably be shocked by how "fake" it seems. The paper itself has a different feel to it. The new bill has a bunch of built in anti-counterfeiting measures such as the blue ribbon down the center, a watermark (on the right) and a couple of holograms. The former 100 dollar note was the most counterfeited bill in the world. North Koreans had mastered faking the bills. Those counterfeits are known as "supermotes" and are extremely tough to detect.

In 1812, when Franklin's grandchildren no longer wished to maintain his house, it was torn down to develop a street with a row of modest rental houses on each side. Protected by this street bed since that time was this fragment of the house's north stone foundation wall built in 1763. Originally, such foundation walls of local Pennsylvania mica schist, laid up with lime mortar, were carried up to just above ground level where they supported the brick walls of the house's upper floors.

Franklin Court cuts through an entire city block on the former site of Benjamin Franklin's home at 316-322 Market Street. Although razed in 1812, a "Ghost House" frame, built by Robert Venturi in 1976 for the Bicentennial, depicts the exact positions of the original 3-story house, 33 square-foot, ten-room house and adjacent print shop, while excavations underneath reveal the original foundations, privy pits, and wells. Six museums on the site, also built in 1976 for the Bicentennial, trace Franklin's life as a publisher, politician, postmaster, printer and inventor.

I noticed That Benjamin Franklin Was not Doing WEll

Then I realized as I was taking this picture - damn it's hard to see him! so then it dawned on me that I became a new mother only 2 weeks ago, and I have yet to change his water diaper! But then it hit me, ohmygoddess I have a FEAR of fish, slimy things and anything moving - how the hell was I going to clean his fish pitcher without killing him? I hadn't even thought of this when I adopted him! I almost killed him the first 5 min (), but we made this far (2 weeks). I adopted a beta b.c they were so low maintenance - the closest thing I could have to love in SD without having to talk about my feelings and harboring resentment for unrequited human interaction without the words "research or sociology." But how do I clean him? Thankgod Katie called me and I told her about my anxiety with cleaning Benjamin Franklin, so she told me get a net! I don't have a net and I didn't want to drive to Petsmart b.c I hate going over train rail tracks since I was almost hit on Friday by the SD trolley that only goes 3 stops. So I decided I could do this - just find something that looks like a net in the kitchen.

In the second picture, I'm trying to figure out if Either of these Qualify as good Nets for Taking out Benjamin Franklin? Wouldn't a flour sifter kill him? Let's go with the gentle black plastic soup scooper.

As you can see, I survived the process and look at how clear the new water is!

1. 1. I noticed That Benjamin Franklin Was not Doing WEll, 2. 2.) Do Either of these Qualify as good Nets for Taking out Benjamin Franklin?, 3. 3.) ok Stop hypervenaliting Tricia - you were born into this world alone and you can change a freakin fish pitcher alone, 4. 4. Hear goes with the Soup Scooper! AHHHHH!, 5. 5.) Keep Breathing Benjie!, 6. 6.) Now I have to Clean the rocks - beta poop stinks, 7. 7.) ok I got Benjamin Franklin back into his new Pitcher!, 8. 8.) Wow Look at Benjamin's colors!, 9. 9.) I've trained him to come to my Finger when I Feed Him, 10. 10.) we play games - he comes to my finger when I point

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Hidden within the City of Westminster, nearby Trafalgar Square is 36 Craven Street. Former home to Benjamin Franklin (on of the American Founding Fathers) - who lived here from 1757 - 1775.

It is a Grade I listed building. It dates from 1730. Opened as a museum in 2006. I enjoyed my visit here.

It has a Historical Experience, where you watch videos on walls, with a woman dressed as Polly Hewson, daughter of Franklin's landlady who becomes a "second daughter" to Franklin.

36 Craven St - Heritage Gateway

Lewis Iselin's replica of Francesco Lazzarini's full length Carrara marble statue of Franklin is ensconced in a niche above the doorway of Library Hall. The sculpture, originally given to the LCP by Senator William Bingham in 1792, depicts a toga-wearing Franklin holding an inverted scepter, indicating the colonies' triumph over British rule.

Library Hall, at 105 South 5th Street, was originally built for the Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP) in 1789 by William Thornton. Founded as a subscription library supported by shareholders in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin and the Junto, his “society of mutual improvement,” the Library Company was America's first successful lending library and oldest cultural institution.

After the Library Company outgrew the space, it was torn down to to make room for the Drexel Building and the Library Company moved to 1314 Locust Street, where still stands. When plans for the redevelopment of the Independence Square historic area were drafted in the 1940s, the Drexel Building was razed the American Philosophical Society planned to erect a new Library Hall to house their collection, which had previously been stored in Philosophical Hall and later the Drexel Building. Dedicated in November 1959, Library Hall reproduced the famous Georgian façade of the Library Company's Hall.

Today, the rebuilt Hall houses the APS Collection, including the original journals of the Lewis and Clark expedition, a copy of the Declaration of Independence in Jefferson's own handwriting, a first edition of Sir Isaac Newton's Principia, and a first edition of Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species.

The American Philosophical Society (APS) was founded in 1743 by Franklin, as an offshot of the Junto. Early members included George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Paine, David Rittenhouse, Benjamin Rush, James Madison, Michael Hillegas, and John Marshall. By 1746 the American Philosophical Society had lapsed into inactivity. In 1767, however, the Society was revived and united with the American Society for Promoting Useful Knowledge on January 2, 1769, adopting the name "American Philosophical Society Held at Philadelphia for Promoting Useful Knowledge" and electing Benjamin Franklin as the first president of the group.

Independence National Historical Park preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution. Administered by the National Park Service, the 45-acre park was authorized in 1948, and established on July 4, 1956.

Independence National Park Historic District National Register #66000675 (1966)

You may find yourself feeling frustrated and impatient in your interactions with others. You might experience misunderstandings & miscommunications and this could leave you feeling like you want to withdraw from the world. While you may not be able to set aside all of your obligations, you might find it beneficial to escape from tension & enjoy a short period of personal time today.

Consider a restorative intermission in which you can pursue activities that soothe your nerves & fill you with a sense of peacefulness. Ideal pastimes would be calming meditation, quiet reading, or inspiring visualization. When you emerge from these activities, you should find you feel stronger & better able to connect with others in productive ways.

Taking a break from stressful circumstances can clear our minds, lift our spirits, and return a sense of harmony to our interactions with others. We often feel obligated to continue with our normal activities even when we’re feeling overwhelmed & frustrated. By giving ourselves permission to take a short break from stress, we’re able to gain control over our emotions and foster a more positive mind-set.

Engaging in restorative activities like meditation & visualization also help us release tension & clear our minds of scattered thoughts, which can improve our communications with others. With lifted spirits and a clearer focus, we’re able to continue our normal activities feeling refreshed & renewed. Your activities can become peaceful and productive if you make time for a restorative intermission. Creating a home containing food and fire for both the mind & the body will help restore your soul.

Visit eyewash for everyday design inspiration: eyewashdesign.wordpress.com/

Da 2 of the Disney Expo. August 15th 2015

This statue of Benjamin Franklin found along the Freedom Trail in Boston, Massachusetts comes with many interesting side notes. First, the statue itself is the first ever portrait sculpture in erected in Boston. The statue was sculpted in 1856 by Richard Saltonstall Greenough. The placement of the statue is also significant as it rests on the site of Boston's first public school - Boston Latin School - which also happens to be America's oldest school. The school was started in 1645 and produced many notable citizens, including four signers of the Declaration of Independence - Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine - although Benjamin Franklin dropped out of the school for financial reasons. The school is long gone and today the statue sits behind King's Chapel and in front of the Boston's Old City Hall - used from 1865-1969. Franklin left Boston at the age of 17 and spent most of his life in Philadelphia; regardless, after all of his many accomplishments, Boston is proud to call him a son.

© LMGFotography 2013; please do not use without permission.

Independence Day Celebration and Festival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Two sides of the same sign . . .

Down with Politicians

Adams, S-Negger, Pelosi, Obama

* Anthony Adams, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama

Follow the Founders

Paine, Franklin, Washington, Jefferson

* Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson

————————————————————————————————————————

Committee to Recall Adams

417-B West Foothill Blvd., #421

Glendora, CA 91741

Citizens for California Reform (The Citizen Legislature Act)

FPPC# 1312882

455 Capitol Mall, Suite 801

Sacramento, CA 95814

Maxwell’s Burgers

17772 Wika Road

Apple Valley, CA 92307-1200

(760) 242-5504

————————————————————————————————————————

20090731_0070b1_800x600

Franklin Court cuts through an entire city block on the former site of Benjamin Franklin's home at 316-322 Market Street. Although razed in 1812, a "Ghost House" frame, built by Robert Venturi in 1976 for the Bicentennial, depicts the exact positions of the original 3-story house, 33 square-foot, ten-room house and adjacent print shop, while excavations underneath reveal the original foundations, privy pits, and wells. Six museums on the site, also built in 1976 for the Bicentennial, trace Franklin's life as a publisher, politician, postmaster, printer and inventor.

Founding Fathers installation, at Artomatic 2009, by Brian Lusher. The busts of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Franklin were Avon men's cologne bottles, circa 1976, and have been painted and repurposed by the artist.

Blogged:

www.21stcenturyabe.org/2009/07/06/lincoln-on-flickr-3/

Bolt of Lightning . . . A Memorial to Benjamin Franklin - Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988). Conceived 1933; installed 1984.

Monument Plaza, Base of Benjamin Franklin Bridge, near 6th and Vine Streets

At the Fairmount Park Art Association's first Sculpture International exhibition in 1933, Isamu Noguchi exhibited eight sculptures and a number of drawings, including a design for a monument to Benjamin Franklin in Fairmount Park. The idea lay dormant for nearly half a century, until in 1979 the Philadelphia Museum of Art presented a retrospective exhibition of Noguchi's work. A reproduction of the 1933 proposal caught the attention of the trustees of the Fairmount Park Art Association, and the project was reborn. With financial help from the estate of George D. Widener, the Art Association commissioned the sculpture as a civic gift in celebration of Philadelphia's tricentennial. Noguchi himself selected the site, Monument Plaza, between the bridge and the square named after Franklin.

For assistance with technical details, Noguchi consulted his friend Paul Weidlinger of Weidlinger Associates, a New York engineering firm. Though Weidlinger's usual responsibilities involved bridges and skyscrapers, he had also worked on large-scale sculptures with such artists as Picasso and Dubuffet. Computer analyses were used to determine how the asymmetrical sculpture could withstand the force of gravity.

The 58-ton Bolt of Lightning refers to the famous experiment in which Franklin flew a kite in an electrical storm. A four-legged painted-steel base supports an image of the key that Franklin attached to the kite. On top of the key is the lightning bolt, a 45-foot truss clad with multifaceted stainless steel plates. From the bolt emerges a 23-foot tubular steel structure with a representation of the kite—all balanced by the tension of four steel guy cables. The cables appeared in Noguchi's 1933 drawings, symbolizing, he said, the eternal and essential contact between air and earth. Jules Fisher and Paul Marantz created the dramatic lighting.

From the Fairmount Park Art Association web site, adapted in turn from Public Art in Philadelphia by Penny Balkin Bach (Temple University Press, Philadelphia, 1992).

The new 100 dollar bill has recently come out. If you have not seen one yet you will probably be shocked by how "fake" it seems. The paper itself has a different feel to it. The new bill has a bunch of built in anti-counterfeiting measures such as the blue ribbon down the center, a watermark (on the right) and a couple of holograms. The former 100 dollar note was the most counterfeited bill in the world. North Koreans had mastered faking the bills. Those counterfeits are known as "supermotes" and are extremely tough to detect.

Hiram Powers (June 29, 1805 - June 27, 1873) was an American neoclassical sculptor.

In 1837 he settled in Florence, where he remained till his death, though he did travel to England during this time. He developed a thriving business in portraiture and "fancy" parlor busts, but he also devoted his time to creating life-size, full-figure ideal subjects, many of which were also isolated as a bust. In 1839 his statue of Eve excited the warm admiration of Bertel Thorvaldsen, and in 1843 he produced his celebrated statue The Greek Slave, which at once gave him a place among the leading sculptors of his time. It was exhibited at the centre of the Crystal Palace Exhibition and Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote a sonnet on it. The sculpture The Greek Slave became an abolitionist cause and copies of it appeared in many Union-supporting state houses. Among the best known of his other ideal statues are The Fisher Boy, Il Penseroso, "Eve Disconsolate", California, America and The Last of the Tribe (also called The Last of Her Tribe).

Statue of Benjamin Franklin in United States Senate

Affiliated with the Hayward Hotel in Los Angeles and the Padre Hotel in Bakersfield.

(Image: Jared Rodriguez / t r u t h o u t)

Image paired with the story:

The Economics of Happiness

www.truth-out.org/economics-happiness/1314796305

Christ Church Cemetery Philadelphia Pa.35 mm Nikon F Kodak Tri-x

A replica of a statue of Benjamin Franklin by Lazzarini crowns the facade of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Da 2 of the Disney Expo. August 15th 2015

William Penn, atop Philadelphia's City Hall, flanked by One & Two Liberty Place.

The new 100 dollar bill has recently come out. If you have not seen one yet you will probably be shocked by how "fake" it seems. The paper itself has a different feel to it. The new bill has a bunch of built in anti-counterfeiting measures such as the blue ribbon down the center, a watermark (on the right) and a couple of holograms. The former 100 dollar note was the most counterfeited bill in the world. North Koreans had mastered faking the bills. Those counterfeits are known as "supermotes" and are extremely tough to detect.

This portrait bust of Benjamin Franklin (Catalog INDE13730) was executed by the Studio of Jean Jacques Caffieri, circa 1790-1804.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat. A major figure in the Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity, he invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, carriage odometer, and glass armonica. He formed both the first public lending library in America and first fire department in Pennsylvania. He was an early proponent of colonial unity and as a diplomat during the American Revolution, he secured the French alliance that helped to make independence possible.

The Second Bank of the United States, at 420 Chestnut Street, was chartered five years after the expiration of the First Bank of the United States in 1816 to keep inflation in check following the War of 1812. The Bank served as the depository for Federal funds until 1833, when it became the center of bitter controversy between bank president Nicholas Biddle and President Andrew Jackson. The Bank, always a privately owned institution, lost its Federal charter in 1836, and ceased operations in 1841. The Greek Revival building, built between 1819 and 1824 and modeled by architect William Strickland after the Parthenon, continued for a short time to house a banking institution under a Pennsylvania charter. From 1845 to 1935 the building served as the Philadelphia Customs House. Today it is open, free to the public, and features the "People of Independence" exhibit--a portrait gallery with 185 paintings of Colonial and Federal leaders, military officers, explorers and scientists, including many by Charles Willson Peale.

Independence National Historical Park preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution. Administered by the National Park Service, the 45-acre park was authorized in 1948, and established on July 4, 1956. The Second Bank of the United States was added to the Park's properties in 2006.

Second Bank of the United States National Register #87001293 (1987)

Independence National Park Historic District National Register #66000675 (1966)

Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 - April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and printer, satirist, political theorist, politician, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman and diplomat. A major figure in the Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity, he invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, carriage odometer, and glass armonica. He formed both the first public lending library in America and first fire department in Pennsylvania. He was an early proponent of colonial unity and as a diplomat during the American Revolution, he secured the French alliance that helped to make independence possible.

When Benjamin Franklin died in 1790, he was buried in his family plot in the north west corner of Christ Church Burial Ground along with his wife Deborah and their two children Francis and Sarah. Francis died of small pox at age four, prompting her father to urge Philadelphians to incoluate their children. Next to Benjamin and Deborah Franklin, are their daughter and son-in-law, Sarah ("Sally") Franklin and Richard Bache. Bache published the virulently anti-Washington newspaper The Aurora.

In 1858, Franklin's descendants requested that an opening be placed in the brick wall so the public could see Franklin's grave day or night, and a metal fence was installed. After the opening in the wall it was much easier for Franklin's many fans to show their respect and remembrance of him by tossing a penny onto his grave. "A penny saved is a penny earned."

Christ Church Burial Ground, at the southeast corner of 5th Street and Arch Street, is the final resting place of 4,000 members of the Anglican Christ Church including many Colonial, Revolutionary and Post-Revolutionary notables. In 1719, Christ Church purchased the two acres of land on the outskirts of town, and it has been used as an active graveyard ever since. The brick wall was first built in 1772, and later re-built in 1927 with much of the original masonry and capstone

In the early 1800s, twenty family vaults were built in the middle of the burial ground along a path from the 5th street gate. These family vaults were built to extend down 36 feet and contain up to 20 family members in each. Many of Philadelphia's prominent families used these vaults up into the 20th century.

In 1864, the Church warden, Edward Lyon Clark compiled a book of all the inscriptions that were still visible on the fading soft marble markers. Today only 1,300 markers remain and plaques have been placed in front of some of the gravestones that contain the words that once appeared on the now blank headstones.

Among Christ Church Burial Ground's famous residents are five signers of the Declaration of Independence--Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Hewes, Francis Hopkinson, George Ross, and Dr. Benjamin Rush; Commodore William Bainbridge, Dr. Thomas Bond, Elizabeth and Samuel Powel, Dr. Philip Syng Physick, Commodore William Bainbridge, and James Biddle.

Christ Church Burial Ground National Register #71000062