(Rare Books & Manuscripts) Consists of 1,200 books and pamphlets by, about, or printed by Benjamin Franklin, together with engravings, portraits, medals, and other materials. The collection began with a gift from Dr. Samuel Abbott Green in 1880, which consisted of 135 books and 87 portraits. Over time, Abbott's initial gift was supplemented by additions by purchased, and from various benefactors.
Today, the Benjamin Franklin Collection, classed together in the Rare Books Department under call numbers K.10 through K.30, brings together the majority of the BPL's Franklin and Franklin-related holdings. However, many additional Franklin-related items are held within other collections throughout the Rare Books Department and throughout the library.
Online access: Items that have been fully electronically cataloged can be retrieved through either of the online catalogs, opens a new window via a title search for "Benjamin Franklin Collection (Boston Public Library)"
An article in the April, 1956 issue of the Boston Public Library Quarterly describes the history of the collection, opens a new window. An article in the October, 1882 issue of the Bulletin of the Boston Public Library provides a preliminary list, opens a new window of items in the collection, while the January, 1883 issue provides a further list of items in the collection related to Franklin, opens a new window. (Rare Books & Manuscripts)
