

For Immediate Release
Release Dated: Oct. 1, 2009
Media Contacts:
Jessica Kohen
Marketing and Communications
651-259-3148
jessica.kohen@mnhs.org
Marjorie Nugent
Minnesota History Center
651-259-3145
marjorie.nugent@mnhs.org
This news release is available online at: events.mnhs.org/media.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: TESTIMONIALS
Reviews from the original run of "Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World," National Convention Center, Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 15, 2005 – April 30, 2006.
"This exhibit is breathtaking. It is engaging, as is evident from observing visitors walking through the spacious chambers of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia and eavesdropping on their comments. This exhibit has them abuzz. But it is more than engaging; it is notable in a number of ways."
– Gary Nash, Professor of History Emeritus, UCLA and Director, National Center for History in the Schools
"I was most impressed with the way the exhibition team was able to integrate recent scholarship about Franklin into a format that was both educational and entertaining. I thought the sections that engaged younger audiences were particularly effective."
– Brent Glass, Director, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
"If Franklin were to mount a museum exhibition about himself, it might very well resemble—in its variety, intelligence, and pleasures—'Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World.' Almost no aspect of Franklin's enterprise is left untouched. One walks through the 8,000 square feet of this exhibition astonished at the fecundity of Franklin's imagination and the range of his inventions. Something is reproduced, too, of his practical and playful spirit."
– Edward Rothstein, The New York Times
"If you think that this exhibition is a collection of old artifacts and paintings dealing with Franklin, you're right. However, this exhibition is a lot more than that. It’s cool, hip, and it's a lot of fun. There are over 40 interactive devices—all available in three languages— English, French, and Spanish. Franklin would have liked that. He probably also would have liked that his life is recapped not only with items from his day, but with all of the modern hi-tech gizmos that we modern folks seem to depend on and enjoy."
– About.com, Philadelphia
"Just when you thought you knew everything there was to know about Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father, along comes this amazing exhibition . . . and a whole new universe of Franklin traits and talents and accomplishments is laid out before your very eyes."
– Bonnie Squires, Main Line Times, Philadelphia
"'Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World' is Philadelphia’s brilliant exhibition and effort to promote their most famous—and enduring—adopted son."
– Mark Seddon, "Comment is Free," The Guardian, London
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