PHILADELPHIA — A large new public sculpture inspired by Benjamin Franklin's famous “Join, or Die” political image is taking shape in Philadelphia, bringing an iconic piece of American history into a contemporary cultural setting.

The serpentine sculpture is being assembled segment by segment, transforming Franklin's historic message about unity into a modern artwork. The project offers visitors a new way to consider how an image created during the colonial era continues to resonate in American public life.

Franklin's original “Join, or Die” illustration famously used the image of a divided snake to encourage the American colonies to cooperate.

The new artwork connects that historical symbolism with Philadelphia's continuing reputation as a center of American history, public art and civic culture.

For residents and visitors, the project also demonstrates how historic figures and symbols can be reinterpreted through contemporary artistic practice.

The sculpture is becoming both an artistic attraction and a visual reminder of one of America's earliest political calls for unity.