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| Benjamin Franklin: In Search of A Better World receives an National Award of Merit from the American Association of State and Local History |
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September 8, 2007
Philadelphia, PA |
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The celebrated exhibition Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better
World has been honored by the American Association of State and
Local History (AASLH) with a national Award of Merit in recognition of
excellence in presentation and interpretation of the life and legacy of
one of the world’s greatest scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs,
diplomats, philanthropists and humanitarians – Dr. Benjamin Franklin.
The exhibition was planned and presented by the Benjamin Franklin
Tercentenary, the non-profit founded by a consortium of five
Philadelphia institutions influenced by Franklin.
The AASLH selected the exhibition in recognition of a multi-year effort
by the Tercentenary to restore, organize and present more than 250
original artifacts and incorporate more than 40 interactive elements to
create an unprecedented experience that touches the very spirit of
Franklin’s world and brings it to life for visitors.
The exhibition made its world premiere in Philadelphia in December
2005, commemorating Franklin’s 300th birthday in January of 2006. It
has since traveled all over the U.S., having been seen by more than half
a million visitors, and demonstrating the extraordinary contributions
Franklin made to this country and the world. On July 4th, Benjamin
Franklin: In Search of a Better World opened in its final American
city, Atlanta, and is getting ready to pack its bags for the grand finale
in Paris.
The American Association of State and Local History’s annual Award of
Merit is the most prestigious honor of its kind. For 62 years, the
AASLH Awards Program has encouraged standards of excellence in the
collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local
history throughout North America. “We are thrilled to receive
thisaward as Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World is
getting ready to complete its last stop in the U.S. The award is a
tribute to the wonder this exhibition has inspired in us all, and the high
hopes we have for its future,” says Dr. Rosalind Remer, Executive
Director of the Tercentenary.
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The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, a non-profit organization
supported by a lead grant of $4 million from The Pew Charitable
Trusts, was established to mark the 300-year anniversary of
Benjamin Franklin’s birth (1706-2006) with a celebration dedicated to
educating the public about his enduring legacy and inspiring renewed
appreciation of the values he embodied. The Benjamin Franklin
Tercentenary was founded in 2000 by a consortium of five Philadelphia
cultural institutions: the American Philosophical Society, The Franklin
Institute, The Library Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia
Museum of Art and the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, an Act
of Congress in 2002 created the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Commission, a panel of fifteen outstanding Americans chosen to study
and recommend programs to celebrate Franklin's 300th birthday. The
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary can be found online at
www.benfranklin300.org. |
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