Slinky inventor Richard James and son Thomas, play with Slinkys on the stairs of the James family home in Philadelphia in 1945. Courtesy of the Independence Seaport Museum.

Last week I was researching Cramp’s shipyard in Fishtown so that I could add this site to the PhilaPlace map. Cramp’s shipyard was a fixture on the docks of Fishtown from 1830 until the end of World War II (with the exception of a twelve-year stretch during the Great Depression when it fell into disrepair). It had developed a reputation for producing not only commercial ships but also “men of war” starting in the Mexican War and continuing through World War II.  Cramp’s  good reputation was international– it produced ships for the Imperial Russian Navy as well as the Ottomans. Benefitting from lucrative naval contracts, during World War I Cramp’s employed 11,000 workers. During World War II, the number shot up to 18,000. Cramp’s was a major player in the shift from wooden clipper ships to steam-driven ships of iron and finally steel ships.

But here’s a little known fact my supervisor came across last week–the Slinky was also invented at Cramp’s when naval engineer Richard James’s work with tension springs gave him the idea for a children’s toy in 1943. He unveiled the new toy in Philadelphia at Gimbels department store in 1945. Here is yet another example of a consumer product that emerged (albeit indirectly) from capital the military invested in new technology. And conveniently, there is an exhibit about this very topic now running at the Independence Seaport Museum. The exhibit, which runs until January 3, 2011, includes such products as the Slinky, bellbottoms, and car tail lights. Yes, I know what you’re thinking– it does sound really cool. So check it out!

…and for your viewing and listening pleasure, alone, or in pairs: