STORY:
Inflatable Liberty Bell for Philadelphia

A Philadelphia architect wants a a massive, inflatable Liberty Bell -- so big that 5,000 people could stand inside -- to be the great centerpiece for the city's New Year's celebration.

In a report from the Associated Press, architect Alan Johnson, 56, estimates that the 200-foot-tall (60-meter) bell would cost about $1 million, including building it, preparing a site, and renting sound and light systems for a year's worth of use.

According to the AP, Johnson says that neither the city nor any private benefactor has come forward to pay for it. Johnson has made a model of the bell in his basement and has projected historic scenes onto the inflatable model, including the invention of plastic, the toilet and the atom bomb. He proposes using the giant bell as a screen for the same sorts of pictures.

Johnson said the bell could be built from polyester-reinforced vinyl, which is the same material used to make the Garfield and Bullwinkle balloons used in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving.

Source: Associated Press / CNN Interactive

DATE: 4/02/99

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