Posted by:

Franklin’s Young Scientists: THE HUMAN BODY

Franklin’s Young Scientists is our FREE science club for aspiring scientists in Key Stage 2/3 (ages 7-14). Participants learn all about the experiments carried out by Benjamin Franklin and his British friends as well as trying their hand at practical investigations. A range of core topics from the science curriculum are covered including electricity, forces, sound and the human body.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

In this session, we will carry out some exciting experiments involving THE HUMAN BODY.

Our focus shall be the skeleton and the bones that make up the human body. Can you name the largest bone in our bodies? Do you know how to assemble a skeleton from scratch? Did you know that skeletons were found beneath Benjamin Franklin House?

Our Young Scientists will also get an exciting opportunity to learn all about the bones in our basement and why they were buried here. They will also explore the history of medicine with a focus on the medical practices of the 18th century.

This is a FREE after-school workshop most suitable for KS2 and 3 pupils and anyone else with a keen interest in Science and History!

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Please note: Parents are welcome to attend, however there is a cap of one adult per child during busier sessions.

Franklin’s Young Scientists is proudly funded by the Daughters of the American Revolution. An organisation that supports a number of our Education Events as well as our fantastic Frankly Speaking Debate Competition for schools.

Posted by:

Family Event: Fourth of July!

Join us afterschool to celebrate Fourth of July at Benjamin Franklin House! Learn about Franklin’s role in American independence and more!

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin played a leading role in American Independence. Without him, history would perhaps be very different.

He was the only Founding Father to sign all four historical documents that officially granted independence to America? What were these documents…? Come along to Benjamin Franklin House afterschool on Thursday 6th June 2023 at 4:30pm to find out!

As well as learning all about the history of 4th July, we will explore how the occasion has grown over the years to become one of the biggest celebrations in the USA.

You will also get a chance to craft your very own Independence Day decorations to take home or to donate to the museum for our displays!

This is a FREE family event open to all! However, the recommended age for the activities are 4-14 years old. Book tickets for all attendees to avoid disappointment!

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Our Independence Day Family Event is proudly funded by the Sons of the American Revolution. An organisation that supports a number of our Family Events as well as our fantastic Outreach Programme for schools.

Posted by:

Breakfast Lecture with Mark Skousen

Tuesday June 6 2023, 8:30-9:30am, Benjamin Franklin House.

“Great Scot! How Ben Franklin and Adam Smith Worked Hand in Hand to Create a New Model of Prosperity”

In celebration of Adam Smith’s tercentenary (he was born in 1723), Chapman Prof. Mark Skousen, a direct descendant of Ben Franklin, explores how the American diplomat influenced the Scottish philosopher in writing The Wealth of Nations in support of free trade, laissez faire government, and American independence.

About Mark Skousen

Mark Skousen, Ph. D., is a 6th generation direct grandson of Benjamin Franklin, and has appeared as Franklin on many occasions. He and his wife completed Franklin’s Autobiography from 1757 to 1790 (“The Compleated Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,” Regnery, 2006). Skousen is known as “America’s Economist.” He is a university professor, investment expert, and author of over 25 books. In 2022, he was appointed the first Doti-Spogli Endowed Chair of Free Enterprise at Chapman University after receiving “My Favorite Professor Award.” In 2018, he was awarded the Triple Crown in Economics in 2018 for his work in theory, history and education. He has the unique distinction of having worked for the government (CIA), non-profits (president of FEE), and several for-profit companies. In 2004-05, he taught economics and finance at Columbia Business School and Columbia University. Since 1980, Skousen has been editor in chief of Forecasts & Strategies, a popular award-winning investment newsletter. He was analyst for the CIA, a columnist to Forbes magazine, chairman of Investment U, and past president of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) in New York. He is the editor of his own website, www.mskousen.com, and is the producer of FreedomFest, “the world‘s largest gathering of free minds,” which meets every July (www.freedomfest.com). He has written for the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Journal of Economic Perspectives, and has made regular appearances on CNBC and C-SPAN Book TV. He is the author of The Making of Modern Economics (Routledge) and The Maxims of Wall Street (Eagle Publishing). Based on his work The Structure of Production, the federal government began publishing in Spring 2014 a broader, more accurate measure of the economy, Gross Output (GO), every quarter along with GDP.

Missed out? Read about it here. 

Posted by:

Franklin’s Young Scientists: LIGHT

Franklin’s Young Scientists is our FREE science club for aspiring scientists in Key Stage 2/3 (ages 7-14). Participants learn all about the experiments carried out by Benjamin Franklin and his British friends as well as trying their hand at practical investigations. A range of core topics from the science curriculum are covered including electricity, forces, sound and the human body.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

In this session, we will carry out some exciting experiments involving LIGHT. The session will take place on Thursday 18th May at 17:00-18:30.

Where does light come from? How is light made? How does light travel? How do we see light? These are some of the questions we will answer during the session using some interactive experiments to help consolidate learning.

Our Young Scientists will also get an exciting opportunity to learn all about Franklin’s fascinating Bifocals and how he popularised this important invention!

This is a FREE after-school workshop most suitable for KS2 and 3 pupils and anyone else with a keen interest in Science and History! The session will take place on Thursday 18th May at 17:00-18:30.

Please note: Parents are welcome to attend, however there is a cap of one adult per child during busier sessions.

BOOK TICKETS HERE

Posted by:

Family Event: Coronation Celebration!

In 1761, Benjamin Franklin attended the coronation of King George III. 262 years later, London is preparing for the coronation of King Charles III. Join us at Benjamin Franklin House on Monday 1st May at 2:30pm as we take a look at the history of the kings and queens of England.

__________________________________________________________

Book your FREE tickets HERE

We will explore some of the coronations of the past to uncover what we might expect to see on Saturday 6th May. How much has changed since George III was crowned and what might be new for Charles today?

Learn about the history of this royal occasion and make your very own crown to wear on the big day!

Decipher the art of Charles III’s coronation invitation and create one for your family!

How many kings and queens can you name?

This is a FREE family event. Recommended age is 4-10 years old, but all are welcome!

Book your FREE tickets HERE

Posted by:

Fulbright Lecture: Extinction Rebellion, Eco-Drama, and the Myth of “Saving the World”

Lecture is now available for viewing on our YouTube channel.

Lecture outline:

The climate and ecological emergency is also a crisis of the imagination.  We find ourselves in “a space between stories” (Charles Eisenstein), struggling to find language, symbols, and mythic images with the power to wake us up, clarify our existential situation, connect us with our love for the living world, and orient us toward action.

Coming one month after mass protests around Westminster by Extinction Rebellion and a coalition of environmental groups in late April 2023, this talk will examine the climate justice movement’s use of imagery and narrative to mobilize support and capture the collective imagination.  It will also show how the media and general public often respond to the mythic outline of disruptive actions rather than to the message or intentions of the activists carrying them out.

The talk will take as its central reference point the ancient Greek myth of Erysichthon, the arrogant king of Thessaly who cut down the sacred grove of Demeter.  The dynamics of the Erysichthon story can provide us with the foundation for an expanded definition of “eco-drama,” one that includes protest and nonviolent civil disobedience as modes of socio-dramatic action.  The talk will also examine the rewards and risks in invoking that most potent of heroic narratives: the myth of “saving the world.”

The lecture will be followed by a Q&A session.

About the speaker: 

DANIEL LARLHAM is a performance researcher and theatre maker with a PhD in theatre from Columbia University and an MFA in acting from NYU. He has held academic appointments at Yale University’s Theater Studies Program, the Freie Universität Berlin (as a Humboldt Foundation Research Fellow), and Saint Mary’s College of California. Daniel is spending the 2022-23 academic year as a visiting Fulbright Scholar at the University of Roehampton, London. His research project, “Heroism in the Anthropocene,” examines eco-activism in the UK from a mytho-dramatic perspective.

Location:

This is a hybrid lecture, hosted at both Benjamin Franklin House and live-streamed via Zoom. In person-attendees are invited to attend a pre-talk drinks reception in Franklin’s Parlour. Please arrive anytime after 4:30pm.

Tickets:

This lecture is free to attend in person or via Zoom, but a £5 donation is encouraged.

Booking is required.

Posted by:

4th of July at the Benjamin Franklin House

Spend 4th of July at the home of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin!

As the only American statesman to have signed all four of the documents that created the new nation – The Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and The Constitution – Franklin’s contributions to American independence are unparalleled!

So, come visit us to see a star-spangled Benjamin Franklin House, enjoy refreshments, and pose for a picture with Polly Hewson, who became like a daughter to Franklin during his time at 36 Craven Street.

Through our self-guided tours, walking tours, and our flagship Historical Experience, you will discover what life was like for an American in London while the colonies were on the cusp of revolution!

 

Thursday, 4 July 2024

Join us for timed visits throughout the day!

Self-guided Tours – £12.50 (plus booking fees)
Available from 10-11:30am, 11:30am-1pm, and 1-2:30pm

  • Learn about the 16 years Franklin spent here
  • Discover the rooms as they were when he left for Philadelphia in 1775 to sign the Declaration of Independence
  • See the House dressed for the occasion
  • Be tempted by American-style refreshments to complete your experience

Get your Self-guided Tour tickets here

Books and bifocals on a desk in Franklin's parlour

Walking Tours – £12.50 (plus booking fees)
Available at 3:30pm

  • Step inside the home where Franklin lived and worked for the 16 years prior to American independence before joining Tour Guide extraordinaire Brian for a walking tour of Franklin’s London!
  • Discover the rooms as they were when he left for Philadelphia in 1775 to sign the Declaration of Independence
  • Be tempted by American-inspired drinks and snacks to complete your experience

Get your tickets for the Walking Tour here

Museum Lates – £17.50 (plus booking fees)
Available from 5-6pm, 6-7pm, and 7-8pm

  • Join a self-guided tour and discover the rooms that Franklin lived and worked in for the 16 years prior to American independence
  • See the House dressed in red, white, and blue
  • Enjoy American-style refreshments and alcoholic beverages

Get your tickets for the Museum Late here

 

Friday, 5 July 2024 
Architectural Tours available on the hour between 11am-4pm

Come see the House in all its Independence Day glory, wandering from room to room to explore the fascinating history of 36 Craven Street and Franklin’s long residence here (1757-1775).

 

Saturday, and Sunday, 6-7 July 2024
Historical Experience available on the hour between 11am-4pm

Using a combination of audio-visual display and live acting, the Historical Experience dramatically tells the story of Franklin’s time in London through the eyes of Polly Hewson, the lady of the House.

Please note: the House will be decorated for Independence Day from the 28th of June forward, so pop in for a visit to see 36 Craven Street dressed for the occasion!

Posted by:

The Coronation: 4-7 May 2023

Join us in the heart of Westminster as we celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, just as Ben would have done for George III in 1761!

Thursday May 4, 3pm

We are relaunching our walking tour, with an added coronation twist! Discover the sights, sounds and smells of Benjamin Franklin’s 18th Century London whilst retracing the steps Ben might have taken as an attendee to King George III’s coronation day!

£12/per person – More information and tickets

Friday May 5, Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7, 12pm – 5pm 

In honour of the event, we will be enhancing our standard Architectural Tours and Historical Experiences with coronation decorations and fun Benjamin Franklin facts all about his surprising relationship to the Crown.

From £7.50 per adult – Purchase tickets here

Posted by:

Summer Walking Tour: Benjamin Franklin’s 18th Century London

Discover the sights, sounds and smells of Benjamin Franklin’s 18th Century London in the re-launch of our walking tour! From famous thoroughfares to hidden streets, you’ll uncover a layer of London history and learn of its transformation over the last 200 years.

Starting at our doorstep, our expert guide will lead you around our local area to follow the steps Franklin would have taken whilst living and working here just prior to the American Revolution. As a witness to George III’s Coronation on September 22, 1761, we will also be retracing the steps that Ben might have taken on that fateful day!

Thursday 7th September 2023, 2.30pm.

Duration: 1.5 hours (approximate)

Location: Starting from 36 Craven Street.

Tickets: £12 per person

Book your tickets now!

 

Posted by:

Franklin and Collinson: Sowing the Seeds of Revolution

The garden has long been associated with this green and pleasant land. But who knew it could also germinate transatlantic politics?! Our Graduate Researcher in Residence, Alice Hopkinson, presents this online lecture on Benjamin Franklin and Peter Collinson in celebration of Royal Horticultural Society’s National Gardening Week!

Peter Collinson was an accomplished merchant, eager botanist, and one of Benjamin Franklin’s closest friends and allies. What was once initially quite a formal and respectable relationship quickly devolved into something more personal once the two came to realise their personal similarities, as well as their shared ambitions and interests. Throughout his life Collinson outwardly projected a noticeable selflessness, and like Franklin, became deeply interested in the intellectual culture of the American Colonies- seeing great potential in his fellow academics that were beginning to find their feet and settle their own intellectual authority in the evolving American Enlightenment. As such, he became Franklin’s Library Company’s greatest asset and heavily lent himself to supporting Franklin’s scientific pursuits. 

Botany, both as a scientific discipline and hobby, was becoming increasingly popular in the eighteenth century and Collinson, as a merchant and a botanist, was one of the pioneers and instigators of a botany craze that shaped the state of British landscape gardening. By investing in his American colleagues and going to great lengths to promote the botanical prowess of the American Colonies, Collinson curated a reputation himself, and greatly contributed to a scientific correspondence exchange that would later lend itself to the minds of the American Revolution.

Despite his impressive list of achievements, Collinson was Franklin’s lesser known and less celebrated colleague. As such, this talk will acknowledge and give light to his often overlooked contributions, not only to Franklin’s career, but to botany, science and the promotion of American intellectualism as a whole.