by KYW’s Stasia DeMarco

The compelling and interactive exhibit, It Sprang from the River; Everyday Objects with Maritime Secrets is at the Independence Seaport Museum through January of 2011.  The exhibit focuses on the many elements in people’s homes, like the Slinky or cell phones, that have a direct connection to the maritime world.

“Slinky is very much a Philadelphia icon.”

Curator Craig Bruns:

“Richard James was an engineer and was working on and was working on a vibration problem aboard a ship. And one of the springs he was working with dropped to the floor and did kind of a slinky thing. And so he had kids at home and he takes it home, and his son Tommy starts to play with the spring. Tommy goes and puts the spring on the staircase, discovers it could walk down the stairs. So bingo!”

For more information, go to phillyseaport.org.

Short audio report:

Podcast:

(Photos provided by Independence Seaport Museum)