Engraving from 1853 that has never been on exhibit to the public before!

Franklin at the Court of France, 1778, engraving by William Overend Geller 1853. Based on the Original painting by Baron Jolly of Bruxelles.

This beautiful hand colored engraving has been in the Grundy Family Collection and has never been on exhibit to the public before! We feel that it’s a perfect object to have on display for the America 250 celebrations when we reopen in April.

The engraving was housed in a frame and needed conservation. The piece was taken to Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) for the work. The engraving had been mounted onto a canvas, from which it could not be removed.

It was cleaned and stabilized. The work was completed and returned to the Museum on January 13, 2026, just in time to make its debut in April for tours.

We are thankful for the work that CCAHA has done and excited to have guests see this incredible piece in our collection.