Mural, Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, Boston, MA - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

In his will, Benjamin Franklin bequeathed £1000 to both the city of Philadelphia and the city of Boston specifically to provide loans to prospective tradesmen to assist in setting up their businesses. (Franklin made a fortune as a printer but wanted to acknowledge the financial help he had received from a couple of friends when starting out in Boston.) He further stipulated that, after 100 years, three-quarters of the funds were to be used for public works.

Franklin had correctly surmised that the money would grow substantially in 100 years but could not see that the whole apprenticeship system would all but disappear in that same time period. At the end of the nineteenth century, Boston had to consult the legal system to help determine who had authority to do what with Franklin’s bequest which had grown to nearly $400,000. (Philadelphia hadn’t done as good a job with their money management, ending up with only $70,000.) In the end, it was decided to establish some institute of higher education aimed at technical tradesmanship.

With a matching gift from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the Franklin Union (fashioned after New York’s Cooper Union) was established in 1906. A new building designed by architect Richard Clipston Sturgis was dedicated in September 1908 when the school first opened for classes. Among its offerings back then were Mechanical Drawing, Industrial Chemistry, Steam Engines and Boilers, Industrial Electricity and Mechanics. Today, over 100 years (and several name changes) later, the school continues to offer programs in mechanical and electronic technology.

The building, located at the intersection of Appleton and Berkeley Streets in Boston, features a lobby with marble floors and ornate ironwork. A series of murals depicting various aspects of the life of Benjamin Franklin were painted by artist Charles E. Mills around the top of the walls. One of these panels, entitled “Benjamin Franklin, Editor and Writer,” appears on a postage stamp honoring Benjamin Franklin as scientist. The stamp was one of a set of four with the other three featuring Franklin as postmaster, statesman and printer.

In addition to the mural by Charles Mills, the stamp also shows Franklin performing his kite experiment (the Currier & Ives version of the event) demonstrating that lightning is a form of electricity. Franklin’s drawing of a 3-wheel clock is also present as well as a page from his publication entitled “Experiments and Observations on Electricity.” This page shows Franklin’s drawing of a waterspout indicating his interest in meteorology. And, though barely visible, math enthusiasts would point out that this page also includes a magic square in which all rows and columns sum to 260.

Stamp Issuing Country: United States Date of Issue: 7-Apr-2006 Denomination: 39c Color: multicolored Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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