Benjamin Franklin, Craftsman (or Young Ben Franklin) (1981)

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• Title

  Benjamin Franklin, Craftsman (or Young Ben Franklin)

• Artist

  Joseph Brown (1909 - 1985)

• Year

  1981

• Location

  Broad Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, near Municipal Services Building Plaza

• Medium

  Bronze (press textured to simulate wood) on granite base

• Dimensions

  Height 10′ (base 3′6")

• Themes

  Benjamin Franklins

Gift of the Pennsylvania Freemasons to the City of Philadelphia

Owned by the City of Philadelphia

At A Glance

• Commissioned by the Pennsylvania Freemasons to celebrate their 250th anniversary

• Installed near the Masonic Temple

• Intended to memorialize Franklin as a printer and an artist

For the occasion of their 250th anniversary, the Pennsylvania Freemasons commissioned artist Joseph Brown to design a larger than life-size sculpture of Benjamin Franklin to be installed near their headquarters at the Masonic Temple at 1 North Broad Street (across from City Hall). This colossal figure of a young Benjamin Franklin working at a printing press was intended to memorialize Franklin as a printer and an artist, and to serve as a reminder of the dignity of the craftsman. The sculpture was dedicated and gifted to the City of Philadelphia on June 27, 1981.

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