by KYW’s Hadas Kuznits

Philadelphia International Airport has unveiled its newest exhibit, tracing the history of one of Philadelphia’s most treasured — and most photographed — artifacts.

Airport CEO Mark Gale (above) explains the new exhibit:

“It’s called ‘Picturing Liberty:Philadelphia’s Legendary Bell,’ and it actually is a series of 50 black-and-white photographs that give the story of the Liberty Bell from the time that it was forged and cast and as it traveled through the United States and all the different events that it attended, the people that have been pictured with the bell over the years, when it started ringing, when it stopped ringing.”

He says the airport is a great place to host an exhibit because they have a captive audience:

“We do a little over 30 million passengers a year right now.  About 10 million of those passengers actually never leave the airport.  They are just connecting on planes.  So this exhibit will be a great opportunity for them to learn about the bell and appreciate its history.”

But you’ll need an airline ticket — or a security clearance — to see it:

“That is where we are with security these days.  This is behind security.”

It will be in place in Terminal A for a year.

(Photo by KYW’s Hadas Kuznits)