‘Greatest Private Benjamin Franklin Collection in a Century’ Headed to Auction

Sotheby’s is set to auction former Philadelphia Flyers executive Jay T. Snider’s historic collection before America’s 250th anniversary.

"The most remarkable American." A rare $4.5 million private collection of artifacts, letters, and manuscripts tracing the life of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin is heading to the auction block at Sotheby’s. CC BY-SA 1.0

As celebrations are being prepared across the country for the 250th anniversary of America’s nationhood, there is a chance to celebrate one of America’s greatest founders and Philadelphia’s favorite son: Benjamin Franklin.

On June 24, Sotheby’s, the renowned auction house, will be auctioning The Jay T. Snider Collection of Benjamin Franklin. What is considered “the greatest private collection of Franklin material to come to market in over a century” comprises more than 150 items, from letters to books to a woodcut map. Snider may be a familiar name to Americana collectors. He’s been one of the country’s most prominent collectors for nearly 40 years and has been actively collecting for nearly 50. According to Sotheby’s, he “will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the great collectors of our era.”

For non-collectors, his name may be familiar for his immediate relation to the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers. His late father, Ed, was the founder and longtime owner of the Flyers, and a 1988 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. Following in his father’s footsteps, Jay T. Snider was the president of the professional hockey team for more than a decade.

‘The Most Remarkable American’

For the former NHL executive and Americana collector, this is not his first auction of historic, Philadelphia-centric collectibles. Christie’s and Bloomsbury oversaw the auction of some of his collections in 2005 and 2008, respectively.

This current collection was on exhibition from May 5 to 7 at the Library Company of Philadelphia, where Snider had once been a trustee. There will be another exhibition before the auction officially begins, running from June 17 to 24 at Sotheby’s in New York City.

Benjamin Franklin's famous Poor Richard’s Almanack will be offered to bidders at the upcoming auction at Sotheby's. Public Domain

Those fond of the great Philadelphian, Franklin, will certainly find plenty to choose from. There are numerous early editions of Franklin’s famous “Poor Richard’s Almanacks,” including Franklin’s first edition French translation of John Dickinson’s “Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania to the Inhabitants of the British Colonies,” which was an important document leading up to the American Revolution; newspapers; manuscripts; and a collection of signed letters from before and after the Revolution. The entire collection is valued between $3 to $4.5 million.

In a press release, Snider stated that the collection was his effort to reconstruct Franklin’s life, whom he called “the most remarkable American.”

Those interested can register to bid online, where they can view the starting bid price and the projected price range for each item. For those not attending in person, the auction will be live-streamed, and buyers can make bids in real time. Despite the overall worth of the collection, not every item is expensive, as several starting bids range between $600 and $2,000. The price of the most expensive items hovers around $45,000, with one starting bid reaching as high as $90,000. The bidding begins at 2 p.m. EST on June 24.

What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to [email protected]