A Century and a Half of Care The Benjamin Franklin Papers at the American Philosophical Society Library

American Philosophical Society Founded by Benjamin Franklin 1743

American Philosophical Society Library

Franklin’s Will “To my son William Franklin…all my Books and Papers which he has in his Possession…The residue and remainder of all my books, manuscripts, and papers, I do give to my grandson, William Temple Franklin.”

Temple Searches for Additional Papers of Ben’s William Temple Franklin

Franklin Leaves Papers with Joseph Galloway at Trevose Joseph Galloway Trevose

W.T. Franklin Leaves Papers with Fox family at Champlost, 1791 Champlost—Near present-day 2 nd St. and Olney Avenue Charles Pemberton Fox

Jared Sparks: First Scholar to Use Franklin Papers From Fox Estate for Works of Franklin ( ) “I have been very successful in procuring materials for this edition. In a garret seven miles from Philadelphia I found two large trunks of Dr. Franklin’s papers, which had lain there undisturbed forty years.” April 17, 1837: “Mr. Fox went again with me to his country-seat, where we got all the Franklin papers in order, and sent them in two large trunks to Philadelphia. The whole weight is four hundred pounds, there being at least thirty cubic feet of solid papers. They are mostly arranged in files.” July 24, 1837: “Commenced the examination of Franklin’s papers in the great trunks which I brought from Philadelphia. They have been classified and arranged by a young man whom I have employed in that service.” Jared Sparks

After completing Works of Franklin, Sparks encourages Foxes to donate papers to APS, 1840 “John Vaughan informs the Society that Mr. C.B. Fox has deposited in the Archives a collection of papers and original letters of Doctor Franklin.” APS Minutes July 17, 1840 Charles Pemberton Fox

American Philosophical Society Librarian and President, 1840 John Vaughan Peter S. DuPonceau

Franklin Papers Committee hires Charles B. Trego To Arrange and Bind Franklin Papers, 1852 “Mr. Trego was instructed to arrange the paper in chronological order as the general plan…it was also agreed that when thei apers are prepared in volumes ready for binding, Mr. Trego be requested to call the committee together… APS Archives, 1852 May 8

Early Inventories Initial Summary of Volumes, 1852 Invoice for work on Papers, 1860

I. Minis Hays, Librarian Compiles Hays Calendar of Franklin Papers, As Franklin Bicentenary approached, Hays sees need for work on Franklin papers Catalogues Papers in Hays Calendar ( ) William Berwick, Library of Congress Manuscript Restorer, disbinds, silks, and rebinds manuscripts

Franklin papers bound in volumes similar to these, ca. 1910

Franklin Papers and library move, 1934 Philosophical Hall 3 rd Floor Library Move to Drexel building

Papers Move with Library to Drexel Building Drexel building 5 th and Chestnut Drexel Building Interior, ca. 1935

Franklin-Bache Papers, 1936 Purchased in 1936 for $75,000 Conserved by Carolyn Horton, “First Conservator” Arranged by Alban Hoopes Catalogued at the item level, bringing 20 th century professional library practice to APS

Microfilming the Franklin Papers December 1941 Ruth Franckens microfilms the Franklin Papers Papers filmed between Dec.1941 and Feb. 1942, then “stored for the duration” of war at the Fidelity Bank and Trust Co. Researchers used microfilm only during the war

“Stored for the Duration” of the War

Franklin Papers Editorial Project American Philosophical Society and Yale University 1954-Present Leonard W. Labaree, Editor in Chief Whitfield J. Bell, Jr., Assistant Editor

Disbinding and Arrangement in Archival Folders and Boxes Early 1970s Franklin volumes disbound by Willman Spawn, Conservator of the American Philosophical Society To Prevent Contact of manuscripts with acidic paper To enable easier removal of individual items for researchers and exhibition loans

Archival Boxes and Folders Preserved Hays Volume and Page Numbers Individual Folders Better security Easier Retrieval

Franklin-Bache and Smaller Collections Re-housed in archival folders and clamshell boxes, 1970s Existing arrangement retained. Franklin-Bache and other small collections arranged chronologically Prior to 2003, still accessible only through catalog cards and typed inventories

Online Resources APS Website All Franklin collections in online finding aid as of 2003 Franklin Papers Online Full-text, searchable by author, recipient, date, and keyword

APS Home Page

EAD (Encoded Archival Description) Finding Aids Page

Fox Accession/Hays Calendar Inventory

Franklin Papers Today Ellen Cohn at Yale and Franklin Papers Volumes at APS

Franklin Papers Online

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