Yeoman's in the Fork Blog

As many of you know, our gallery is now officially open.The shelves are brimming with books and the cases are filling with relics. We at Yeoman’s have many exciting doings in the hopper and the future for rare books and collectibles in the Fork looks like a bright one. Since the day that we opened, it has been on my mind to do a little note of introduction to our recently acquired bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin which now resides just off our front porch. A few months ago, I happened upon an advertisement for a Utah sculptor named Gary Lee Price in Fine Books Magazine. I perused his work and was immediately taken by his Benjamin Franklin piece, which is a part of his “Great Contributor Series.” I was equally stirred by a few of the quotes that I found attributed to the artist himself such as,

"I hope I can assist the world in visualizing a place where fences and boundaries, both real and imagined, are non-existent; a place where bias and prejudice are long forgotten; and finally, a place where acts of kindness, mutual respect, and love are everyday happenings." - Gary Lee Price

I could not have done better job at summing up our beliefs! The beauty of the piece and the beliefs of the creator locked it in that we had to secure Ben and bring him home to Leiper’s Fork. Benjamin Franklin is a great representative of all that we try to do at Yeoman’s. The area where we are located bears his namesake. We are a store, yes, but we are much more. Our devotion to sharing, teaching and learning from our fellow man wakes us up each morning and keeps us loving what we do for a living. Money doesn’t buy fulfillment and happiness as the old saying goes. Just like Gary Lee Price, we are proud to be spreading the word of the power of good and are equally proud of the methods in which we’ve chosen to do it.

Our bronze statue of Ben has many features for which you should pay close attention. First off, you might take a gander at the bifocals he is wearing. These glasses were actually invented by Franklin. Next, you’ll make your way to the copy of Poor Richard’s Almanack on his knee. This is representative of his publishing career and the Almanac is one of the more famous aspects of it. The key that resides in his left hand is symbolic of America’s independence and his role in the founding of our country. It is also symbolic of his experiments with electricity and the many other doors that Ben helped to unlock. You might also take a look at the box that his foot sits upon. This box is a document box that was quite common in his day. The box represents his role in government and his political doings at a crucial time in history. Ben is made of bronze and weighs just less than 800 pounds. He was mounted and displayed by our expert landscape artists. He awaits your visit! Please check out these photos and be sure to ask for a photo next time you come to the shop. We are happy to offer free photos with Ben to any and all visitors.

Special thanks to Gary and his studio crew. Ben looks right at home under the magnolias in the Fork!

Mike Cotter, Director of Operations
mikecotter@yeomansinthefork.com
615-983-6463