October was an exciting month for Benjamin Franklin, and for me as I brought him alive to an usually diverse number of venues, and to an equally diverse group of people. Dr. Franklin greeted the Young Professionals Association, Mid-Atlantic chapter, at Jose Garces’ lovely Spanish…
September has been an enjoyable, if bittersweet month for Dr. Franklin and me. Enjoyable, because I had the busiest summer season with Historic Philadelphia, Inc. in quite a long time. My thanks to many people, including the fine men and women of the National Park…
Hello, friends. August was busy, and may I say, unusual? We are in the process of wrapping up the summer season at Historic Philadelphia, Inc. It has been a wonderful summer, having the funding to return historical interpretation to the streets of Philadelphia in a…
July has been an exciting month for Benjamin Franklin. First, as always, the celebrations surrounding the 4th of July were special. On July 3, I appeared with Betsy Ross on the Fox News Channel to wish much of the nation a wonderful holiday. On the…
HAPPENINGS, JUNE 2016 June has been a busy month for Bill and Dr. Franklin. In addition to the always wonderful Independence After Hours shows in Independence Hall and the Tipplers Tours, both with Historic Philadelphia, Inc., I have been in various locations in the Old…
HAPPENINGS, MAY 2016 I am not sure how this has happened, but another month has sneaked by, and so it is time to update you on my exploits as Benjamin Franklin. We began the month with a photo shoot celebrating the beginning of National…
HAPPENINGS, APRIL 2016 April has been an exciting month for me as Benjamin Franklin. Historic Philadelphia, Inc. has staged several evenings of Independence After Hours, in which Dr. Franklin interacts with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and others in Independence Hall. I have done a photo…
MARCH 2016 | HAPPENINGS The winter doldrums have finally come to an end, and Dr. Franklin has emerged from the darkness. While the quieter times are wonderful for study and reflection, costume repair and replacement and such, I am only happy when busy being Dr….
FEBRUARY 2016 | HAPPENINGS Well, folks, it is mid-February, and I do not have my usual list of Franklin activities to report. This is typically not the busiest of months for me as Dr. Franklin, but it is, nevertheless, a productive time. This slowest of…
Bill Robling’s January 2016 Happenings January has been, as is usually the case, a time for catching up with Bill’s life, as opposed to Ben’s. Reading and research are crucial to what I do, and January is ideal for that. As I do not…
December 2015 Happenings The past month has certainly exemplified the diversity that I refer to in this newsletter. My work has ranged from appearing for the eleventh season in Historic Philadelphia’s “Independence After Hours” in Independence Hall, to singing “All I Want For Christmas Is…
This month finds me engaged in several performances of the delightful Historic Philadelphia tour, Independence After Hours, in which John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and I put the finishing touches on the Declaration of Independence in the Pennsylvania State House, aka Independence Hall before visitors who…
October 2015 Happenings The past month has been a busy time for Dr. Franklin, and typically diverse. There were the less “historical’ events where Benjamin Franklin is present because, well, it just isn’t Philadelphia without Ben Franklin. Along with Thomas Jefferson (the wonderful Steve Edenbo),…
September 2015 Happenings The end of August, and the beginning of September, has been a busy time for Dr. Franklin. There was Chadds Ford Days, on the Brandywine Battlefield, commemorating that battle in our war of Independence, and celebrating the lovely little historic town of…
August 2015 Happenings July, post-4th, and August have been busy with the always enjoyable meet-and-greets at the Historic Philadelphia Center, and season eleven of the ever-popular Independence After Hours tour, which ends in a wonderful program at Independence Hall. This week I traveled to the…
My July report begins at the end of June, with the Tall Ships Festival on the Philadelphia waterfront. Dr. Franklin spent the day meeting and greeting guests from all over, and crews from visiting ships. It was an international affair, and a delight. The…
The past month or two have been busy times, as we usher in the spring and summer season in the historic district of Philadelphia, and all around. Dr. Franklin once again visited Elfreth’s Alley for their annual Spring Fete, a major fund-raiser for the Association….
Spring seems to finally be awakening, and so does Dr. Franklin’s schedule. Despite winter’s challenges, I had some memorable events during the recent months. I visited a book club in the Society Hill neighborhood, highlighted by hostess Susan Behrend’s delightful Franklin-inspired menu. The club had…
September has been a busy month for Benjamin Franklin. I have been engaged in greeting corporate and foundation gatherings, including the Retina Society, the Board of Directors of the Hersha Hospitality Group, and many others. I participated with Gen. George Washington in the Grand Opening…
It is the beginning of August. I am currently engaged in a project that I’ve been involved with since its inception ten seasons ago. Working with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and others on the Independence After Hours tour for Historic Philadelphia, Inc. It is a…
2nd Annual Tree Lighting – M Restaurant and the Morris House Hotel
