Portrait of Benjamin Franklin. Born 17 January 1706 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America. Died 17 April 1790 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America. Steel engraving, and Stipple engraving by W. J. Edwards (fl. 1840 - 1863), after Joseph Siffred Duplessis (1725-1802), c. 1860. Reasonable condition. Paper slightly soiled and slightly browned, mainly along edges. Some staining. A short left margin, trimmed to the decorative border. The left edge slightly ragged. Verso: blank, with an old collection stamp. Provenance: collection Otto Hitscherich, Germany, with his collection stamp. Note: dimensions reflect the entire leaf. Dimensions: 243 x 161 mm. Benjamin Franklin was Politician, Statesman, Writer, Philosopher, Printer, Diplomat, Scientist, Fellow of the Royal Society, Abolitionist, Inventor, Newspaper editor, Freemason, Founding Father, Political philosopher, Polymath, Humorist, Postmaster, Civic activist, First president of Academy and College of Philadelphia, President of the American Philosophical Society, United States Ambassador to Sweden, United States Ambassador to France, President of Pennsylvania, United States Postmaster General, Postmaster General British America, Speaker of the Pennsylvania Assembly, Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufactures and Commerce, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.