College Hall was a fitting place to hear David Waldstreicher and Robert Engs talk to us about slavery; Waldstreicher’s perspective on colonial slavery, more specifically Ben Franklin’s, and Robert Eng’s on the Civil War. Both were very interesting and kept me entranced with their words. That’s one thing I miss about teaching older students, being able to present some thought-provoking ideas to be debated and researched. This subject is far beyond the 6-year-old mind!
After leaving the campus, we went to the University Book Store, then had lunch at our favorite pub, New Deck. To get downtown (or uptown?) we took the 34th Street subway terminal. What a different world on that side of the bridge! Had I known that, I would have been taking that way all the time! Much nicer!!!!
We started for the Franklin Court Underground Museum. I was a bit disappointed. Nothing in it was authentic. They seemed to grasp at straws to think of something different to display. There were models of the American Philosophical Society and I can’t remember what other building. There was a huge diarama of Franklin in a center courtyard talking to people about his opinion of the Constitution. That was pretty nice.
We trapsed around town and saw several sites, none of which turned my crank much. The Carpenters’ Museum had plaques with members’ names. I take it, this is like a carpenters’ union? Frankly, I think Philly has more museums than most states have. They are enamoured with old Ben!
