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Job Sheet:
The South Street Seaport Musuem
 New York, NY

Exhibit: “Lights, Ships, Bells and Bouys”
Other Exhibit Team Members: Paul Pierson, Janet Rassweiler

Fresnel Lens: This antique fresnel lens is mounted on a turntable producing a rotating beam of light throughout the exhibit. As The Visitors enter the exhibit, they can line up this flashing light with the steady light of a bouy behind it to stay within a narrow “channel” similar to the way boats find their way into New York harbor.

Solar Bouy:  When The Visitor  presses the button, an overhead light turns on, and shines on the bouy’s solar panel. A volmeter reads the actual voltage generated by the panel. When the button is released, the light goes out, and then just as at sunset, the bouy’s light comes on. The unit resets after a few seconds.

Automatic Lightbulb Changer: The bulb in the mechanism on display shines normally. When The Visitor presses a button, the bulb sputters, and then after a flash, it turns off. It appears as if The Visitor has just broken the bulb!  The mechanism then rotates, and positions a fresh bulb into place, which then turns on and shines normally once again.

Exhibit: “Something Fishy”

Heads or Tails: Eight clues are provided about specialized fish heads or tails. When the corresponding buttons are pushed, mecanical models go into motion demonstrating the specialized function. 

Exhibit: “New York Trades”
Other Exhibit Team Members: Paul Pierson

Storefront: The eight panes in the window are two way mirrors. When The Visitor answers one of eight questions correctly, a light behind the mirrors turns on revealing a picture illustrating the correct answer.
Softshell Crab Box: A Pepper’s Ghost mirror trick shows a crab molting. The device is triggered a few seconds after the box’s lid is opened.

Viewmaster Microscopes:  3-D models photographed in the ViewMaster format illustrate a food chain linking humans to micro organisms.

Delicate Balance: Visitors can place environmental elements onto one side of a scale. When the correct amount of sunlight, oxygen, nutrients, etc are in position, the scale balances and a half-mirrored fish silhouette is illuminated revealing a happy fish face. If pollution elements are put on the scale, it tips too far and the happy face turns off.

Pollution Panel: Different types and sources of pollution are displayed through openings in the mural. When a lever is pulled, new images slide into place illustrating things that can be done to correct or reduce the problems.

All images Copyright 2000 Jan Spoerri, All rights reserved