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Virtual Children’s Summer Fete: Leighton House Museum

Make and Create with Leighton House Museum

Welcome to Leighton House, Kensington, the magical home of celebrated Victorian artist Frederic, Lord Leighton.

Do you like stories full of mystery, drama, love and adventure? So did Leighton! He was inspired by the myths of Ancient Greece and Rome to create some of his best known paintings and the Narcissus Hall in his home.

Be inspired too!  Make and create with our five activity packs, and listen to these wonderful stories told by our professional storyteller, Vanessa Woolf (@londondreamtime).

 

Don’t forget to send a photo of your creations to education@benjaminfranklinhouse.org for your chance to win a sticker book!

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Virtual Children’s Summer Fete: Arts & Crafts Hammersmith (a partnership between Emery Walker’s House and the William Morris Society)

Let’s Make a Sunflower!

The William Morris Society promotes all aspects of the life and work of William Morris (1834-1896) and runs a small museum at his former home, Kelmscott House in Hammersmith. Download the instructions to make your own sunflower, inspired by Morris’ designs, here.

 

Let’s Make a Mobile!

The Emery Walker Trust conserves, maintains and displays Emery Walker’s House at 7 Hammersmith Terrace and its contents, and promotes the advancement of the study and appreciation of the Arts & Crafts Movement. Download the instructions to make your own Arts & Crafts mobile here.

 

Don’t forget to send a photo of your creations to education@benjaminfranklinhouse.org for your chance to win a sticker book!

 

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Virtual Children’s Summer Fete: John Wesley’s House

Music Makers

Gemma from the Museum of Methodism and John Wesley’s House will be showing us how to make a rattle drum. The inspiration for the activity is Charles Wesley, John’s brother, who along with John was one of the founders of the Methodist Church. Charles was a talented musician and writer, he wrote over 6000 hymns! So, join in and become Music Makers too! If you would rather read the instructions, you can download them here.

Don’t forget to send a photo of your creations to education@benjaminfranklinhouse.org for your chance to win a sticker book!

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Virtual Children’s Summer Fete: Benjamin Franklin House

How to make a monoprint

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin started out as a printer? Follow the steps outlined in the video below to create your own simple monoprint. If you would rather read the instructions, you can download them here. You might like to include images which link to Franklin’s life, like his famous kite and key experiment.

Don’t forget to send a photo of your prints to education@benjaminfranklinhouse.org for your chance to win a sticker book!

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Virtual Talk: American Sheet Music at the British Library

Although once disregarded by historians as sentimental and ephemeral, today American sheet music is valued for the unique light it sheds upon the nation’s concerns and aspirations. In this talk, Eccles Centre for American Studies librarian Jean Petrovic will share items held at the British Library. She will consider how this music moved ‘from the sacred to the secular and from the timeless to the timely’ and will explore how songs associated with World War I and the movement for female suffrage captured, reflected – and possibly even shaped – the cultural and political zeitgeist.

Image: Marie Zimmerman, Votes for Women. Suffrage Rallying Song. Philadelphia: E.M. Zimmerman, 1915. British Library shelfmark: H.3992.r.(18)

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Virtual Talk: Benjamin Franklin and Black Lives Matter

Benjamin Franklin was born at a time when the abhorrent practice of slaveholding was common.  He was initially accepting of owning slaves, and came to London with two black servants, Peter and King, who became free on arrival in Britain.  His years on Craven Street led to a fundamental transformation. House Director, Dr. Márcia Balisciano, will explain how Franklin became the American founder who campaigned against slavery, spending his last days as the President of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.

This event was free to attend but we would ask attendees to consider making a voluntary donation here to support Benjamin Franklin House continue to share Franklin’s story as we begin to reopen to the public.

Watch the full talk and Q&A here:

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American Independence Day Tours

Join us for a special reopening celebration of Independence Day at Benjamin Franklin House and enjoy a tour of the world’s only remaining Franklin home!

As a founder of the United States, Franklin was the only statesman to have signed all four documents that created a new nation, including The Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and The Constitution. The first of these was signed on 4 July 1776.

Buy your tickets here.

Tours times are:

Saturday July 4th: 2pm and 3pm

Sunday July 5th: 2pm and 3pm

To ensure we keep everyone safe:

  • We are limiting group sizes to 4 people from separate households. If your group has more than 4 people from your household, please contact us at info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org or +44 207 839 2006 to arrange your booking
  • All staff and visitors (excluding those exempt under current UK government guidance) will be required to wear a mask inside the House – on entry, visitors will find a station with hand sanitiser, masks, and gloves
  • Our staff will be regularly cleaning the public areas throughout the days we are open to the public to ensure a safe environment

We look forward to welcoming you again to Benjamin Franklin’s only surviving home in fulfilment of our mission to bring history and innovation to life!

Benjamin Franklin House Team

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We’ve Reopened!

We are excited to announce that following new UK government guidelines on museums and galleries, Benjamin Franklin House will be reopening to the public with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

In celebration of American Independence Day, we will offer Architectural Tours from 2-4pm on 4 and 5 July.  Please make a booking for this special celebration here.

Following, we will be open Friday-Sunday, 12-5 for Architectural Tours from Friday, 10 July.  We hope to begin running our primary offering, the Historical Experience, before the close of summer.

Please make a booking for Architectural Tours here.

Changes to ensure the safety of visitors and staff

To ensure we keep everyone safe:

  • We are limiting group sizes to 4 people from separate households. If your group has more than 4 people from your household, please contact us at info@benjaminfranklinhouse.org or +44 207 839 2006 to arrange your booking
  • All staff and visitors (excluding those exempt under current UK government guidance) will be required to wear a mask inside the House – on entry, visitors will find a station with hand sanitiser, masks, and gloves
  • Our staff will be regularly cleaning the public areas throughout the days we are open to the public to ensure a safe environment

We look forward to welcoming you again to Benjamin Franklin’s only surviving home in fulfilment of our mission to bring history and innovation to life!

Benjamin Franklin House Team

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Live Science Class for Kids: Ben Franklin and the Solar System

Join our series of weekly virtual classes to learn how Ben Franklin’s inventions and scientific discoveries illuminate the national curriculum! You can recreate all the featured science demonstrations at home using household materials.

 In 1769, Venus could be seen passing across the Sun from Earth. Scientists in Philadelphia carefully tracked its journey and used this to measure the distance between the Sun and the Earth. Ben Franklin wrote about their findings and this helped American to enter the global scientific community. Learn more about the transit of Venus as well as the other planets before creating your own model solar system!

Materials: black paper, tin foil, acrylic/ poster paints, paintbrush, PVA glue

Links to the Science Curriculum:

KS2: Earth and Space (Y5)

KS3: Space Physics

Most Suitable for KS2 and KS3 (US Grades 2-8) but all ages welcome!

If you have any questions, please contact education@benjaminfranklinhouse.org

Our Solar System:

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Live Science Class for Kids: Ben Franklin and Volcanoes

Join our series of weekly virtual classes to learn how Ben Franklin’s inventions and scientific discoveries illuminate the national curriculum! You can recreate all the featured science demonstrations at home using household materials.

In 1783, a dramatic volcanic eruption took place in Iceland which lasted for several months. Ben Franklin wrote about how the eruption might have impacted the climate across Europe. Find out more about the eruption of Laki and how volcanoes work. You’ll also create your own model of an erupting volcano!

Materials: small plastic bottle, paper, scissors, tape small bowl, cup, 1tbsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tbsp washing up liquid, 2 tbsp water, ½ cup vinegar, 1 tbsp red food colouring, 

Links to the Science Curriculum:

KS2: Rocks (Y3)

KS3: Earth and Atmosphere

Most Suitable for KS2 and KS3 but all ages welcome!

If you have any questions, please contact education@bejaminfranklinhouse.org

How to make a model volcano: