Benjamin Franklin, a Founding Father of the United States, came to symbolize for many what it meant to be an American during the Revolutionary War with his unadorned clothes and speech, quick wit, and humble charm. Franklin was very aware of the messages that clothing could convey. He and several other prominent Americans such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were well versed in the fashion and textiles of the time and selected their wardrobe carefully to match their social stature and political agendas.
The three-piece silk suit pictured above belonged to Franklin; originally a dark plum color, it has faded to a brownish hue. It is thought to have been made in France around 1778, the year the Treaty of Alliance between the United States and France was signed.
Franklin, the American Minister to France from 1776 until 1785, was a key figure in Franco-American politics and was often present at the court of King Louis XVI. This plain suit would have created a stark contrast between Franklin and those in the elaborate dress typical of the opulent French Court, and Franklin crafted his appearance knowing that it was a powerful visual symbol. He also often wore a fur cap in the French Court, which evoked an American ruggedness and his American status.
A French admirer presented this gold-capped walking stick to Franklin while he was the Minister to France; the gold top depicts a fur cap. Franklin later bequeathed the cane to his friend and fellow revolutionary George Washington.
The suit is in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; it is not on display.
