The Franklin Institute

The Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts was established in 1824 by Samuel Vaughan Merrick and William H. Keating. The goal of the Institute was to educate young people in the mechanical arts. The Institute held regular lectures and exhibitions, published a journal, and amassed an impressive library to serve its members. In 1986, the Institute sold its entire library at auction, and the Lehigh University Libraries purchased a number of the Institute’s books. These books are easily recognizable by their distinctive bookplates, which remind us of their original audience.