Franklin Institute faces questions over Wright brothers plane acquisition

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@Mlavey,Franklin-Insititute,Philadelphia

Relatives of the plane's original owner believe that it was stolen and acquired by the Franklin Institute without family permission.

The Wright brothers 1911 Model B airplane plane at the Franklin Institute in 2003. The plane was prepared for refurbishment in Dayton, Ohio. A precious aircraft designed by the Wright brothers towers high inside the Franklin Institute, a Philadelphia science museum, where it has been housed for almost a century.

For months, Lake reached out to the Franklin Institute for information about the provenance of the Wright brothers plane and requested to see Bergdoll’s letter, only to be told museum workers couldn’t find it. That exchange, of course, only brought up more questions. “It was a complete about-face of their explanation for acquisition of the airplane that they have presented to the public for the past 90 years … without any evidence whatsoever leading to that change,” Lake said.

In a statement to The Inquirer, the museum reiterated that the plane was a legitimate gift that neither Bergdoll nor his family had disputed before. The Franklin Institute did not comment on the existence of a letter from Bergdoll.

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The Franklin Institute faces questions over Wright brothers plane acquisitionFor nearly a century, the museum has maintained that wealthy draft dodger Grover Cleveland Bergdoll donated the aircraft. His family now disputes the claim.
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