Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2009.80 |
Object Name |
Bowl, Serving |
Title |
Benjamin Franklin Porcelain Center Bowl |
Artist |
Staffordshire |
Description |
Large, center bowl with black and white floral designs on interior and exterior. In the center, an image of Benjamin Franklin flying a kite in a thunderstorm, with a seaside town, fort, and sailboats in the background. No manufacturer marks on underside. Previously broken and repaired. |
Label |
This Staffordshire bowl depicts Benjamin Franklin performing his experiments with electricity using a kite. Beginning in 1745, Franklin and friends began designing and practicing their own scientific experiments, specifically with electricity. In 1750, he proposed the idea of lightning rods as a method to protect homes from strikes. In June 1752, Franklin, seeing a storm approaching, planned to prove the efficacy of a lightning rod through a similar item, a kite. Knowing that the hemp string attached to the kite would conduct electricity, he attached it to a Leyden jar (such as 58.36) and observed that the fibers on the hemp string stood on end, proving that electricity was part of nature. His experiments and publications of the results made him one of the most famous natural philosophers in the Western world. Images recreating his kite experiment immediately appeared in print and decorative arts. A similar bowl has been attributed to English firm Davenport & Co., of Longport, but the APS version has no maker’s mark. |
Material |
Porcelain |
Dimensions |
H-4.5 Dia-14 inches |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society |
Search Terms |
19th century nineteenth century Founding Father science electricity tableware |