Philadelphia celebrates Ben Franklin's 300th birthday

Celebrations galore will mark his 300th birthday starting on January 17, 2006, with the world premiere of a major Tercentenary exposition. It will feature an international traveling exhibition called, "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" through April 30, 2006 at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center. It is hoped that visitors will be inspired by the accomplishments of Franklin in the early days of America. Highlights of the exhibit will include five of America's key founding documents, all signed by Franklin; a 25-foot model ship open to visitors to recreate Franklin's method of charting the Gulf Stream; and a video animation of a young Franklin swimming with a kite to save energy. Other memorabilia will include his walking stick, the odometer he invented and equally rare renditions of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Treaty of Paris. These are purported to be the largest collection of Franklin documents ever assembled under one roof. Actually, five of Philadelphia's finest cultural institutions with ties to Franklin formed a consortium in the year 2000 to prepare for this birthday bash for the first founding father to turn 300. The five are the American Philosophical Society, The Franklin Institute, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the University of Pennsylvania. They concentrated on Franklin's investigative approach to his environment, his self-reflection, and his tendency for collaboration as they examined objects from his material world.I am told that the exhibition's title: "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World" expresses Franklin's lifelong desire to understand and improve the world around him. Throughout his 84 years on earth, he used his ingenuity for the benefit of others, creating everything from the quirky (a chair with a foot-pedaled fan for cooler air, available for spectators to try themselves) to the practical (bifocals, flippers, and the lightening rod). Additionally, he took on more important work, like founding the nation's first hospital, drafting the Albany Plan and serving on the committee to write the Declaration of Independence.All the phases of his life will be on display in six different sections. They will include the following:ˆ Character Matters, 1706-1723: Young Franklin in Boston.ˆ B. Franklin Printer, 1723-1748: Franklin's entrepreneurial and prosperous career as a printer, as well as his family life at his Market Street home.ˆ Civic Visions, 1731-1751: Franklin's collaborative approach to community action and his involvement in the founding of the city's educational, civic and charities.ˆ The search for Useful Knowledge, 1747-1785: Franklin's many inventions and their practical applications.ˆ The World Stage, 1744-1787: Franklin's political career in colonial Pennsylvania, his years as a colonial agent in London, his diplomacy in France and his role as America's elder statesman.ˆ Seeing Franklin, 1787-Today: Franklin's own assessment of his life, dating back 250 years on a visual journey of Franklin's image in pop culture today.I am reminded that there are at lest seven things that you and I couldn't do if not for Ben Franklin's curiosity and intellect. Imagine not being able to scuba dive. Franklin invented swim fins in 1717 when he was only 11-years-old. Reading your favorite newspaper. Franklin printed his own newspaper and his famous Poor Richard's almanacs.Check a book out at the library. In 1731 Franklin established the oldest lending library in America. Laugh at your favorite politician. Franklin created the first political cartoon in North America, published in "Plain Truth" in 1747. Protect your house from lightning. Franklin invented the lightning rod in 1750. Collect insurance after a fire. Franklin founded the first mutual insurance company in North America in 1751. Turn the lights on and off. Though Franklin didn't discover electricity, he did put it to practical use by coming up with the concept of electric current in 1752, and demonstrated it with his famous kite and key experiment.The year 2006 will definitely be the year to visit Philadelphia and join in the year long celebration of Ben Franklin's 300th birthday. I do believe that his innovative approach to life has made him one of the most notable figures in our history and certainly deserving of a birthday toast.Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@verizon.net