The philosophical society was founded in 1743 by - who else? - Benjamin Franklin. Its name refers to natural philosophy, which was what people called science back then. An early supporter of American scientific endeavors, including the Lewis and Clark expedition, the society holds a vast collection of documents and objects, including a handwritten copy of the Declaration of Independence.
Though their specialties differ, curator Sue Ann Prince refers to the five featured Philadelphians as "explorers." With drawings, artifacts, maps and objects, the display examines how these explorers ventured forth to reshape their world.
"An explorer is someone who actually gets out into the field," said shipwreck-diver Peter Hess, chairman of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Explorers Club, as opposed to "a scientist who looks for truth in a microscope." He agreed that these Philadelphians are indeed explorers.
The exhibit is something of a homecoming for Peale; the building that houses the society's museum, located around the corner from Independence Hall, was actually his boyhood home.
The United States Exploring Expedition, in which Peale (1799-1885) served as a member of the scientific corps, returned in 1842 with 40 tons of artifacts, much of which seeded the Smithsonian Institution's collection. The four-year journey charted 1,500 miles of Antarctica's coast and established it as a continent - without an apparent portal through the Earth to the North Pole. On view are drawings by Peale, who was also an accomplished artist, as well as artifacts picked up in the Pacific Islands.
