Benjamin Franklin - Boston, MA
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NorStar
N 42° 21.477 W 071° 03.577
19T E 330383 N 4691574
This statue of Boston-born Benjamin Franklin is reported to be the first portrait statue raised in the city.
Waymark Code: WMCAQN
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/16/2011
Views: 28
In Boston, in front of old Boston City Hall, to the left of the entrance - facing the building from School Street - is a bronze statue of the well-known figure of Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin, is an important figure to Boston. He was born about a block from this position, near the corner of Milk Street and Washington Street. He grew up in Boston, attending Boston Latin School (see the detail work in the Boston City Hall entrance. He apprenticed with his brother in the printing business until about the age of 17 when he ran away and fled to Philadelphia. Franklin always had love for Boston, providing donations such as new scientific instruments for Harvard University, and, when he died, a sizable amount was donated to the city. One of the investments made with the money was the establishment of the Franklin Institute of Technology.
The sculpture stands about 8 ft tall, according to the inventory datasheet, while the pedestal adds another 9 ft 3 inches.
The statue shows him standing and in a thoughtful pose, while the bronze panels in the pedestal show important scenes of his life. He is in colonial clothing, with a tricorner hat in his left hand. His head is looking down, and his right foot is forward of the left. According to the datasheet, inscriptions on the statue are as follows: "(Inscribed on statue proper right:) RICHARD S. GREENOUGH FECIT BOSTON 1855 (Inscribed on statue proper left in script:) Ames Mfg. Co. Founders Chicopee Mass. Inscriptions of the left side are shown fairly well, while inscriptions on the right are poorly shown.
The front bronze panel in the pedestal shows Franklin, with his brother in the printing shop. A printing press is on the left, while Ben Franklin, presumably, is the one working on the table to the right. The datasheet states that R. S. Greenough is inscribed on the left side, while inscribed on the right side is Ames Mfg. Co. Found/Chicopee Mass. In the granite below the plaque are the words, "Benjamin Franklin - Born in Boston 17 January 1706 - Died in Philadelphia 5 April 1790."
The panel counterclockwise to the first, is a scene of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, which seems to be based on the painting by Trumbull. The inscription in the granite below is, "Declaration of Independence - July 1776."
The rear panel is a scene of him experimenting with electricity with a kite. He is in the center of the picture, in a barn, holding the kite wire, and had just released the key, which would help indicated the presence of electricity traveling down the wire. The clouds are on the left. The datasheet states that the inscription in the lower right is "R.S. Greenough fecit 1857", and in the lower left is "Ames Mfg. Co. founders/Chicopee Mass. signed Founder's mark." Inscribed in the granite below is, "Eripuil Coelo Fulmen Sceptrumque Tyrannis."
The last panel (going counterclockwise) is a scene of him at the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1782, which ended the Revolutionary War. Prominent in this scene are the figures, tables, and chairs. Inscribed in the granite below is "Treaty of Peace and Independence - September 1783."
The statue appears to be in good condition.
The statue and courtyard is a nice stop to rest and reflect upon Ben Franklin's accomplishments, as well as a nice place to take a break from the urban landscape.
TITLE: Benjamin Franklin
ARTIST(S): Richard Saltonstall and Thomas Ball
DATE: 9/17/1856
MEDIUM: bronze, marble and granite
CONTROL NUMBER: 76006177
Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link]
PHYSICAL LOCATION:
In front of old Boston City Hall, in the courtyard, to the left of the entrance.
DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH:
In the datasheet description of the last bronze panel for the Treaty of Paris, the year should be '1782,' not '1872.' That would have made him an old man indeed!
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