The National Park Service has in its collection all manner of pop culture artifacts related to the Liberty Bell— from place mats to lapel pins—including those pictured here, which date from 1926 through 1976. The glass Bells are actually cookie jars. Independence National Historical Park collects Liberty Bell memorabilia because it represents how pervasive the Bell's image is in American popular culture. People instantly recognize images of the Bell because the original object has unique physical characteristics—its crack and its inscription from Leviticus. On another level, images of the Bell also represent Philadelphia in people's minds. According to Chief Curator Karie Diethorn, the collection is meant to be a representative sample of mass-produced and hand-made artifacts that reflects the wide range of meaning that has been given to the Bell's image and, by extension, to the Bell itself.

** Photo Credit: Peter West, National Science Foundation

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