An early printing of Benjamin Franklin’s famous chart of the Atlantic Gulf Stream and only its second printing in America. Franklin first became aware of the Gulf Stream during a crossing of the Atlantic when only a young man. It was when he was in London as Deputy Postmaster General for the American Colonies that the problem was brought more seriously to his attention. It was 1768 and a busy time in colonial affairs when speedy communications were essential and the outward bound journey’s were up to two weeks longer than the return. It was his distant cousin, a mariner from Nantucket called Timothy Folger, who was staying with him at the time who drew his attention to the Gulf Stream being the cause. Franklin had him draw the current on to an available large four sheet chart of the Atlantic Ocean which was published by the firm of Mount & Page c.1769. Just three known examples survive of this chart. It was then more famously issued by Le Rouge in Paris, c.1783 of which at least five examples are known. The next publication, and the first in America, was when Franklin had it engraved by James Poupard for the ‘American Philosophical Society Transactions’ of 1786. This example in the March 1789 issue of the ‘American Museum’ is its second printing in America. ‘Imago Mundi’ 52 p. 132; McCorkle 789.7 ill. p. 268; de Vorsey in ‘The Map Collector’ 15 pp. 2-11; De Vorsey, Louis. (2004). ‘Poor Benjamin’s Chart. Benjamin Franklin’s famous Gulf Stream Chart receives rough treatment’, in IMCoS Journal no. 96 p. 11-13; Wheat & Brun 723.