Friends of Franklin: Conflicted transatlantic interpretation of Benjamin Franklin in London
In 2006 Benjamin Franklin House opened in London just in time for Franklin's 300th birthday. The opening represented decades of work by interested parties in England and the United States determined to "save" Franklin's only extant home. Individuals on both sides of the Atlantic raised interest, funds, and--as it turns out--tempers over the legacy of Franklin and how we remember him and his contributions to science and politics. This study situates Franklin House's institutional history within public history scholarship toward understanding how founding visions and funding strategies impact house museums over time, particularly in an international context. In the case of Benjamin Franklin House, Lady Mary Bessborough, a dominating socialite, aristocrat, and Franklin enthusiast with connections in both England and the United States, fought long and hard for a house museum that would exhibit furnishings associated with Franklin in a traditional period display. Meanwhile, others interested in connecting Franklin's scientific inquiry to England's national core curriculum designed and put into place a cutting-edge house museum largely absent of objects that relies on theatrics, lighting, and audio projections in its interpretation today. This study identifies opportunities for public historians to learn from the efforts at Benjamin Franklin House in developing international connections and histories for the public. The thesis explores the benefits and pitfalls of fundraising, collaboration, global and international public history, object-based and object-less interpretation, and the role of innovative technology in historic house museums as it identifies possibilities in the future of the field.
American studies, Museum studies, Social sciences, Communication and the arts, Franklin, Benjamin, House museums, Institutional history, International, Public history
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