Artwork Details
- Title
- Benjamin Franklin, Craftsman (or Young Ben Franklin)
- Artist
- Joseph Brown (1909 – 1985)
- Year
- 1981
- Medium
- Bronze (press textured to simulate wood) on granite base
- Dimensions
- Height 10′ (base 3′6")
Artwork Description
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.
Artwork Credits
Gift of the Pennsylvania Freemasons to the City of Philadelphia
Owned by the City of Philadelphia