Preservation of the Pennsylvania General Assembly Collection

FAIN: PT-50036-06

State Library of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, PA 17105-1601)
Caryn J. Carr (Project Director: December 2005 to April 2009)

Selected by Benjamin Franklin in 1745 and 1746, this collection of 422 volumes was assembled to serve the colonial Pennsylvania Assembly. It addresses English, international, and colonial law, as well as broad matters of philosophy, science, and art. Housed initially in what is now Independence Hall, it underwent frequent moves in time of war, and lay dormant in the Forum Building in Harrisburg until the 1960s. The collection will receive conservation treatment that includes reattaching book covers and mending tears.