Front plate of "Pennsylvanian Fire-Place" or "Franklin stove", ca. 1760
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  Photo courtesy of Conservation Center for Art & Historical Artifacts |
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Pennsylvania
Cast iron; H. 17 3/4 in. (45.1 cm), W. 25 in. (63.5 cm), thickness +1/2 in. John Bartram Association Collection, Bartram's Garden (Philadelphia, Pa.) 
This cast front plate of an open "Pennsylvanian Fire-Place" was found on the property of Franklin's friend, the botanist John Bartram. In many ways, the enthusiasm that Franklin and his associates showed for the possibilities of improved heating through the design of such stoves could be compared to our interest in the possibilities of solar and other forms of heat.
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