Author David Macaulay to Sneak-Peek New Book on the SS United States in Philly

Photo by Robert Caplin for “The New York Times”

David Macaulay, best-selling author/illustrator behind The Way Things Work, staple of coffee tables and active minds for years, will host a sneak-preview of his upcoming, yet-to-be-published book on the SS United States at the Central Branch of the Free Library (3/6, 10:30 a.m.-11 a.m.). Later that night he’ll be a special guest at the Independence Seaport Museum for the opening of its latest exhibit, “SS United States: Charting a Course for America’s Flagship” (3/16, 6 p.m.-8 p.m.)

The SS United States was a luxury mid-century passenger ship engineered by Philadelphian William Francis Gibbs. The Independence Seaport Museum’s exhibition “spotlights the ship’s Philadelphia connection, its heyday during the 1950s and 1960s, and the SS United States Conservancy’s efforts to save her from destruction.” You can catch that through September 14. More details here.