1From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 28 March 1747 (Franklin Papers)
Experiments and Observations on Electricity...surviving letter in which Franklin alludes to his electrical investigations. It introduced the fourth edition of his Experiments in 1769. That edition, its predecessors and its successor, will be discussed below, under their respective dates of publication. This note is concerned rather with the several manuscript and printed versions of Franklin’...
2From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 27 July 1750 (Franklin Papers)
Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II (London, 1753), and in 1754 and 1760 editions; Letter VI in 1769 and 1774 editions.
3Franklin and Hall: Account with Benjamin Franklin, 1750–54 (Franklin Papers)
brought forward from the three earlier pages now lost. The second surviving page, numbered 7, runs from May 5, 1753, to Feb. 20, 1754, when the charges reached £219 15Experiments and Observations on Electricity
4From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 29 June 1751 (Franklin Papers)
Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity (London, 1753), pp. 90–2, and in later editions of
5From Benjamin Franklin to Ebenezer Kinnersley, 2 March 1752 (Franklin Papers)
Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II. … (London, 1753), p. 102.
6From Benjamin Franklin to Ebenezer Kinnersley, 16 March 1752 (Franklin Papers)
Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II. … (London, 1753), pp. 103–6.
7From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, [October 1752] (Franklin Papers)
Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II. … (London, 1753), pp. 108–[9].
8The Kite Experiment, 19 October 1752 (Franklin Papers)
English scientists, who could have read Franklin’s proposal when it was published in Experiments and Observations in for 1753 was then “In the Press, and speedily will be published”; in that almanac Franklin printed for the first time precise instructions for the erection of lightning rods for the protection of buildings.
9From Benjamin Franklin to James Alexander, 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Experiments and Observations on Electricity
10Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II, [March 1753] (Franklin Papers)
Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II. Made at Philadelphia in America, by Benjamin Franklin, Esq; and Communicated in several Letters to P. Collinson, Esq; of London, F.R.S. London: Printed and sold by E. Cave, at St. John’s Gate. 1753. (Yale University Library)
11From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, September 1753 (Franklin Papers)
At last, on the 12th. of April 1753, there being a smart Gust of some Continuance, I charged one Vial pretty well with Lightning, and the other equally, as near as I could judge, with Electricity from my Glass Globe; and having placed them properly... to Collinson, April 18, 1754; but on Oct. 25, 1753,
12From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 23 November 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Experiments and Observations on Electricity
13From Benjamin Franklin to Samuel Johnson, 13 December 1753 (Franklin Papers)
Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II
14From Benjamin Franklin to Cadwallader Colden, 1 January 1754 (Franklin Papers)
I think the Experiments and Observations put down “1753” from force of habit. The correct date is established by the references to Nollet’s , published early in 1753, to David Colden’s “Remarks” of December 1753, and to , published in March 1753. , 358–9, and Sparks, Bigelow, and Smyth all retain the 1753 date uncorrected.
15From Benjamin Franklin to William Watson, 19 April 1754 (Franklin Papers)
Experiments and Observations on Electricity (1751–52), 202–11, published 1753. It is reprinted above,
16From Benjamin Franklin to Peter Collinson, 28 May 1754 (Franklin Papers)
By Capt. Cuzzins I sent you a paper containing my new Experiments and Observations on Lightning, and on the positive and negative Electricity of the Clouds:, 1753–54, p. 40. The House adjourned without passing the law.
17New Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part III [September 1754] (Franklin Papers)
New Experiments and Observations on Electricity. Made at Philadelphia in America. By Benjamin Franklin, Esq; Communicated to P. Collinson, Esq; of London, F.R.S. And read at the Royal Society June 27, and July 4, 1754. To... ...F.R.S. and read at the Royal Society Dec. 6, 1753; and another in defence of Mr Franklin against the Abbe Nollet, by Mr D. Colden, of New York. Part III. London: Printed...
18From Benjamin Franklin to James Birkett, 1 March 1755 (Franklin Papers)
’s nephew Benjamin Mecom in the census of inhabitants taken by order of Governor George Thomas, 1753. Vere L. Oliver, New Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part III
19From Benjamin Franklin to John Lining, 18 March 1755 (Franklin Papers)
Experiments and Observations on Electricity, 1753–54, 284–5). His kite experiments show a mastery of electricity. See (1753), 431; , Sept. 13, 1753;
20From Benjamin Franklin to Thomas-François Dalibard, 29 June 1755 (Franklin Papers)
and has been frequently reprinted since. The personal parts — the first three and the last paragraphs and one in the middle — survive only in Dalibard’s translation of Franklin’s Experiments and Observations. The editors have decided to follow the Royal Society manuscript copy and to add their own retranslation of the several French paragraphs....some new experiments and observations...
21Comments on Hoadly and Wilson’s Electrical Pamphlet, 28 January 1759 (Franklin Papers)
Supplemental Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Part II.” Actually, as early as September 1753
22From Benjamin Franklin to Giambatista Beccaria, 13 July 1762 (Franklin Papers)
Experiments and Observations on ElectricityIn 1753 Beccaria had published