Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/6/2021

A complete and authentic issue, 10" x 15-1/4", 4 pages reinforced at the spine, with the "Philadelphia: Printed by B. Franklin, Post-Master...." imprinted on the bottom margin of the outside page 4. Front page ad for the Pennsylvania Hospital seeks someone "to assist in taking Care of the Lunaticks...."; another ad offers a reward for an escaped indentured servant, "a Ship-carpenter by trade." French and Indian War news on page 2 includes the surrender of Fort Royal. A page 3 ad offers "Good Wages for able bodied Negroe-men, and lazy boys...at a Brick-yard," while another ad offers "To be Sold A Likely Negroe Woman...fit for Town or Country Business...." Also, a notice of a meeting of the members of the Philadelphia Contributionship, for insuring Houses from Loss by Fire, to choose new directors and a treasurer. Light toning; hinged at left edge. VG.The newspaper was first published in 1728 by Samuel Keimer and was the second newspaper to be published in Pennsylvania under the name The Universal Instructor in all Arts and Sciences: and Pennsylvania Gazette, alluding to Keimer's intention to print out a page of Ephraim Chambers' Cyclopaedia, or Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences in each copy. On October 2, 1729, Benjamin Franklin and Hugh Meredith bought the paper and shortened its name, as well as dropping Keimer's grandiose plan to print out the Cyclopaedia. Franklin not only printed the paper but also often contributed pieces to the paper under aliases. His newspaper soon became the most successful in the colonies.

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