Kenneth Finkel, an instructor in American studies, believes that Philly history is telling us something: We lost our sense of humor at the bottom of Broad Street. Consider the new spine of lights proposed for a stretch of Broad from Spring Garden to Norris. These 55-foot tall stalks of light are meant to restore North Broad Street's long-absent "wow factor." What people may not realize, writes Finkel, is that Broad Street was once home to far more extreme statements in light, including a giant illuminated model of the Liberty Bell that spanned South Broad Street in 1926.