Untitled satirical cartoon: Franklin as plagiarist, 1789
Photo by Peter Harholdt
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Photo by Peter Harholdt

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The engraving by J. Macky from a drawing by H.S. Grimm depicts Franklin's library. On its shelves are ranks of volumes, many with legible titles on their spines. Franklin sits before a stove, working a bellows to raise the flames within it. A monumental glass distilling jar is filled with books and papers. The documents boil within the still, the material they contain is distilled, rises through the coiled neck of the vessel, and issues from its mouth. Sheets of paper fly through the air, falling into a large urn with the word "ANECDOTES" on its side.

Inscriptions beneath the image identify the originator of the concept, the artists who drew it, and the engraver of the plate: "I.P.A. Invt." "H.S. Grimm Delt." and "J. Macky Sculpt." Centered below them is the publication data required by English law: "Published as the Act Directs March 26, 1789 by John Stockdale."

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