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.

Grantor dc:publisher

Temple University. Libraries

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Shipley, Erin E.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Bruggeman, Seth C.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Lowe, Hilary Iris
• Rojas, Eileen

• American studies
• Museum studies
• Social sciences
• Communication and the arts
• Franklin, Benjamin
• House museums
• Institutional history
• International
• Public history

Statement dc:rights

• IN COPYRIGHT- This Rights Statement can be used for an Item that is in copyright. Using this statement implies that the organization making this Item available has determined that the Item is in copyright and either is the rights-holder, has obtained permission from the rights-holder(s) to make their Work(s) available, or makes the Item available under an exception or limitation to copyright (including Fair Use) that entitles it to make the Item available.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://scholarshare.temple.edu/handle/20.500.12613/11391

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarshare.temple.edu:20.500.12613/11391