Poor Richard, 1733

Almanacs (also spelled almanacks) were popular books in colonial America. Filled with seasonal weather forecasts, farmers’ planting dates, tide tables, puzzles and other diversions, almanacs served both practical and amusement purposes. Benjamin Franklin published Poor Richard’s Almanack (or Almanac) annually from 1733-1758. Writing under the pseudonym of “Poor Richard” or “Richard Saunders,” Franklin’s books were bestsellers in the American colonies, with print runs reaching 10,000 per year. Poor Richard’s Almanack remained popular for its practical proverbs and extensive and inventive wordplay. This particular copy is an 1850 reprint of Franklin’s 1733 almanac, the first he printed.