John C. Van Horne

Director, the Library Company of Philadelphia

by J.F. Pirro

John C. Van Horne readily admits he has exploited Ben Franklin's tercentenary. Why not? In 1731, Franklin founded the nation's first public library. On Nov. 8, Van Horne's historic repository at 1314 Locust St. celebrates its 275th anniversary with an invitation-only gala in the ballroom at the Ben Franklin House.

With the milestone comes a pledge to become more public while remaining a noncirculating research library. It's had a good start. One of five sponsors of "Ben Franklin 300," the Library Company was featured in an Associated Press story chronicling a 50-year quest to reconstruct Franklin's personal library after deciphering a secret penciled code he used in his books.

City Paper: Is the Library Company a well-kept secret?

John Van Horne: There's always been this aura and perception that we're elitist and exclusive, but the library isn't and wasn't. Also, we're the library founded by Ben Franklin — not that other one [the Free Library of Philadelphia].

CP: Besides the original Franklin collection, what does the library house that's really rare, or at least racy?

JVH: The largest collection of 18th-century broadside horse stud posters anywhere. They're certainly a window on popular culture. Some seek remuneration "by the leap," others "for the engagement of a season." One from Richmond advertises the services of a direct ancestor of Smarty Jones.

CP: Are you really ready to make the library public like it once was?

JVH: Well, you can't just wander and browse. You need a specific research project, but you also don't have to pay and don't need a letter of reference or an academic affiliation. We want to be better utilized because we know we offer the kind of smoking-gun documentation that can't be found anywhere else. Lorene Cary's The Price of a Child [a novel set in antebellum Philadelphia] was inspired here when she read about the true-life story of escaped slave Jane Johnson. We offer so much provenance. That's why we'll never die because of some Googlization.