Benjamin Franklin National Memorial
Benjamin Franklin National Memorial | |
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Location | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Visitors | 171,033 (in 2009) |
Owner | Franklin Institute |
Website | Benjamin Franklin Memorial |
U.S. National Memorial | |
Designated | October 25, 1972[1] |
The Benjamin Franklin National Memorial, located in the rotunda of the Franklin Institute science museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, features a large statue of a seated Benjamin Franklin, American writer, inventor, statesman, and Founding Father. The 20-foot (6.1 m)-tall memorial was sculpted by James Earle Fraser between 1932 and 1938[2][3] and dedicated in 1938.[1]
With a weight of 30 short tons (27 t) the statue rests on a 92-short-ton (83 t) pedestal of white Seravezza marble. It is the focal piece of the Memorial Hall of the Franklin Institute, which was designed by
History
Public Law 109-153 (December 30, 2005) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make available to the Institute up to $10,000,000 in matching grants for the rehabilitation of the memorial and for the development of related exhibits. This appropriation commemorates the 300th anniversary of Franklin's birth on January 17, 1706.[4]
In 2008, the Memorial underwent a $3.8 million restoration, which included installation of a multi-media presentation about Philadelphia's most famous citizen, now featured in the 3½-minute show "Benjamin Franklin Forever". The memorial's new digital projection, theatrical lighting, and audio effects are fully utilized in a program that introduces Franklin as a curious tinkerer, and demonstrates his profound impact on the world as a premiere international citizen, statesman, civic leader, and scientist. The refurbishment also included improved acoustics, state-of-the-art LED lighting upgrades, and restoration and re-gilding of the oculus to its original brilliance. Throughout the day, quotes from Franklin are projected onto the walls, and graphic panels highlighting his life and accomplishments provide visitors with a still greater appreciation of this Founding Father.[5]
Admission to the National Memorial is free.
In popular culture
The memorial appears in the 2004 film National Treasure.
See also
- Franklin Court
- Benjamin Franklin House, in London, England, the only surviving home of Benjamin Franklin, now a museum.
- Jefferson Memorial
- James Madison Memorial Building
- George Mason Memorial
- Washington Monument
- Memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence
- List of national memorials of the United States
References
- ^ a b Benjamin Franklin National Memorial Commemoration Act of 2005, THOMAS (Library of Congress), retrieved 14 June 2016[permanent dead link]
- ^ PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER 31 January 1932, Page 10 and 17 May 1938 Page 9
- ^ a b Benjamin Franklin, (sculpture), Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS), retrieved 14 June 2016
- ^ Public Law 109-153
- ^ "Benjamin Franklin National Memorial to Receive Funds for Renovation - the Pew Charitable Trusts". Archived from the original on 2011-07-03. Retrieved 2012-02-04.
External links
- Official page within Independence National Historical Park
- National Park Service images of Benjamin Franklin National Memorial (archived 13 February 2006)
- Statement by NPS Dept. Director Durand concerning financial assistance for the Ben. Franklin Nat'l Memorial (archived 13 May 2006)
- James Earle Fraser biography