The Works of Benjamin Franklin. 12 Vols.
New York and London: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1904. Federal Edition. Hardcover. 128/1000. Quarto. Bound in three quarter Morocco with gilt-stamped portrait on cover, gilt lettering, tooling and ruling on spines; raised bands. Top edges gilt. Frontispiece portrait with printed tissue guard. Vignette on half-title. Title pages printed in red and black. Compiled and edited by John Bigelow.
Benjamin Franklin was an American polymath, active as writer, scientist, statesman, printer and publisher as well as political philosopher. Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers and a member of the Committee of Five in the Second Continental Congress who drafted and signed what was to become the United States Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Franklin had campaigned for colonial unity as an author and spokesman in London and Paris, he later became the first United States Ambassador to France, earning the title "The First American." Franklin was a successful newspaper editor and printer, publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette at the age of 23, and became wealthy publishing this and the Poor Richard's Almanack which he had written under the pseudonym Richard Saunders. He was the first president of the Academy and College of Philadelphia, later to become the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin founded and became the first secretary of the American Philosophical Society and became its president in 1769.
Franklin owned slaves, ran "for sale" ads for slaves in his newspaper but began arguing against slavery in the late 1750s and became an active abolitionist, arguing integration of African Americans into society. His scientific accomplishments include charting and naming the Gulf Stream current, the invention of the lightening rod, and the Franklin stove to name a few. near fine. Item #55793
Price: $2,750.00