As you walk through the Children’s Department at Parkway Central Library, we hope you’ll stop and admire our newly-returned statue, The Young Bonaparte. We’re happy to have Napoleon back, inspiring our visitors to change the world they live in.

Bonaparte was gifted to the Free Library in 1950 by Josephine Linn, the widow of Justice William B. Linn. Justice Linn was a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court from 1932 until his death in 1950 and was also a member of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Board of Governors.

Special thanks to our Collection Care team for cleaning Bonaparte and Carpentry for building a new pedestal for the statue, they did a great job!  As you’re passing through, you might notice that our statue of The Youthful Franklin has been removed. Ben is also being cleaned and will return with a matching pedestal shortly...