Colonial America
June 1752 Printed Reply Regarding Benjamin Franklin’s “... extraordinary Experiment in Electricity, dated May 14, 1752”
June 1752-Dated, “The Gentleman’s Magazine”, with a Reply Regarding Benjamin Franklin’s, “... extraordinary Experiment in Electricity...” London, Choice Crisp Very Fine.
“The Gentleman’s Magazine” measuring 5.25” x 8.25”, two-column layout, 46 pages (247-293), printed by D. Henry and R. Cave at St. John’s Gate, stitch holes at left margin, disbound, minor page creases, some pages have come loose and have contemporary ink notes. On page 263 of this issue, a short printed letter, “concerning a very extraordinary Experiment in Electricity, dated May 14, 1752.” Letter reads, in part:

“You must remember, Sir, how much we ridiculed Mr. Franklin’s project for emptying clouds of their thunder, and that we could scarce conceive him to be any other than an imaginary Being. This now proves us to be put poor virtuosi; for yesterday I met a learned gentleman of the academy, who assured me that the experiment had been very largely tried with success...”.

The correspondent describes a demonstration mounted outside of Paris involving a “bar of iron, or rather several joined together, to the length of 50 or 60 feet... suspended by silken cords and rested on glass bottles...” He goes on to say “Last Wednesday a cloud passed over, and discharged a clap of thunder, at which time M. Dalibard could draw sparks of fire from the bar, even at the distance of several inches...” Several engraved plates including a large folding example bearing a wonderful rendering of “The GRAND STATE PROCESSION of the DOGE of VENICE, 9.5” x 13.5”. Also, on the last page, a wonderful Hand-Colored print of “The painted FINCH; (as big as life) from Edwards’ Nat. Hist. of Birds”.