Centennial Exposition
Centennial Exhibition redirects here. For the 1939
1940 exhibition in Wellington, see New Zealand
Centennial Exhibition.
The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the
rst ocial Worlds Fair in the United States, was held
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to Novem-
ber 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the
signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadel-
phia. Ocially named the International Exhibition
of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and
Mine, it was held in Fairmount Park along the Schuylkill The Great Sanitary Fair (1864) was the model for the Centennial
River on fairgrounds designed by Herman J. Schwarz- Exhibition. It had raised $1,046,859 for medicine and bandages
mann. Nearly 10 million visitors attended the exhibition during the American Civil War.
and thirty-seven countries participated in it.
1 Precedent
The Great Central Fair of 1864, one of the many fairs
held during the Civil War, anticipated the combination
of public, private, and commercial eorts that were nec-
essary for the Centennial. The Great Central Fair, held on
Logan Square, had a similar gothic appearance, the wav-
ing ags, the huge central hall, the curiosities and relics,
handmade and industrial exhibits, and also a visit from the
President and his family, provided a creative and commu-
nal means for ordinary citizens to promote the welfare of
Union soldiers and dedicate themselves to the survival of
the nation. They also made Philadelphia a vital center in
the Union war eort.
2 Planning
The idea of the Centennial Exposition is credited to John
L. Campbell, a professor of mathematics, natural philos-
ophy and astronomy at Wabash College, Crawfordsville,
Indiana.[1] In December 1866, Campbell suggested to
Philadelphia's mayor that the United States Centennial be
celebrated with an exposition in Philadelphia. Detractors
said the project would not be able to nd funding, other
nations might not attend, and U.S. exhibitions might com-
pare poorly to foreign exhibits.[2]
The Franklin Institute became an early supporter of the
exposition and asked the Philadelphia City Council for
use of Fairmount Park. With reference to the numerous
events of national importance that were held in the past
1
and related to the City of Philadelphia, the City Council
resolved in January 1870, to hold the Centennial Exposi-
tion in the city in 1876.
The Philadelphia City Council and the Pennsylvania Gen-
eral Assembly created a committee to study the project
and seek support of the U.S. Congress. Congressman
William D. Kelley spoke for the city and state and Daniel
Johnson Morrell introduced a bill to create a United
States Centennial Commission. The bill, which passed on
March 3, 1871, provided that the U.S. government would
not be liable for any expenses.
The United States Centennial Commission organized on
March 3, 1872, with Joseph R. Hawley of Connecticut as
president. The Centennial Commissions commissioners
included one representative from each state and territory
in the United States.[1] On June 1, 1872, Congress cre-
ated a Centennial Board of Finance to help raise money.
The boards president was John Welsh, brother of phi-
lanthropist William Welsh, who had raised funds for The
Great Sanitary Fair in 1864.[2] The board was authorized
to sell up to US$10 million in stock via US$10 shares.
The board sold US$1,784,320 ($35,245,276 today[3] )
worth of shares by February 22, 1873. Philadelphia
contributed US$1.5 million and Pennsylvania gave US$1
million. On February 11, 1876, Congress appropriated
US$1.5 million in a loan. Originally, the board thought
it was a subsidy, but after the Centennial ended, the gov-
ernment sued for the money back, and the United States
Supreme Court ultimately forced the commission to re-
pay the government. John Welsh enlisted help from the
women of Philadelphia who had helped him in The Great
Sanitary Fair. A Womens Centennial Executive Com-
mittee was formed with Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, a de-
2 3
Joseph R. Hawley
scendant of Benjamin Franklin, as president. In its rst
few months, the group raised US$40,000. When the
group learned the planning commission was not doing
much to display the work of women, the group raised
US$30,000 for a womens exhibition building.[4]
The Centennial Tower, a 1,000-foot-tall (300 m) tower con-
ceived in 1874 by engineers Clarke and Reeves for the 1876 Ex-
position, was featured in the January 24, 1874 edition of Scien-
tic American but never built.
STRUCTURES
In 1873, the Centennial Commission named Alfred T.
Goshorn as the director general of the Exposition. The
Fairmount Park Commission set aside 450 acres (1.8
km2 ) of West Fairmount Park for the exposition, which
was dedicated on July 4, 1873,[4] by Secretary of the
Navy George M. Robeson. The Commission decided
to classify the exhibits into seven departments: agricul-
ture, art, education and science, horticulture, machinery,
manufactures, and mining and metallurgy. Newspaper
publisher John W. Forney agreed to head and pay for
a Philadelphia commission sent to Europe to invite na-
tions to exhibit at the exposition. Despite fears of a Eu-
ropean boycott and high American taris making foreign
goods not worthwhile, no European country declined the
invitation.[5]
To accommodate out-of-town visitors, temporary hotels
were constructed near the Centennials grounds. A Cen-
tennial Lodging-House Agency made a list of rooms
in hotels, boarding houses and private homes and then
sold tickets for the available rooms in cities promot-
ing the Centennial or on trains heading for Philadel-
phia. Philadelphia streetcars increased service and the
Pennsylvania Railroad ran special trains from Philadel-
phias Market Street, New York City, Baltimore and
Pittsburgh. The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad ran
special trains from the Center City part of Philadelphia.
A small hospital was built on the Expositions grounds
by the Centennials Medical Bureau, but despite a heat
wave during the summer, no mass deaths or epidemics
occurred.[6]
The Centennial National Bank was chartered on Jan-
uary 19, 1876, to be the nancial agent of the board
at the Centennial Exhibition, receiving and accounting
for daily receipts, changing foreign moneys into current
funds, etc., according to an article three days later in
the Philadelphia Inquirer. Its main branch, designed by
Frank Furness, was opened that April on the southeast
corner of Market Street and 32nd Street. A branch oce
operated during the Centennial on the fairgrounds.[7]
3 Structures
More than 200 buildings were constructed within the Ex-
positions grounds, which were surrounded by a fence
nearly three miles long.[8] There were ve main build-
ings in the exhibition. They were the Main Exhibition
Building, Memorial Hall, Machinery Hall, Agricultural
Hall, and Horticultural Hall. Apart from these buildings,
there were separate buildings for state, federal, foreign,
corporate, and public comfort buildings. This strategy of
numerous buildings in one exposition, set it apart from
the previous fairs around the world that relied exclusively
on having one or a few large buildings.
The Centennial Commission sponsored a design competi-
tion for the principal buildings, conducted in two rounds;
3.1 Main Building 3

all four sides, the east entrance of the building was used as
an access way for carriages and the south entrance of the
building served as a primary entrance to the building for
street cars. The North side related the main building to
the Art Gallery and the west side served as a passageway
to the Machinery and Agricultural Halls.
In the Main Building, Columns were placed at a uniform
distance of 24 feet. The entire structure consisted of
672 columns, the shortest column 23 ft in length and the
longest 125 ft in length. The construction included red
and black brick-laid design with stained glass or painted
glass decorations. The Interior walls were whitewashed
and woodwork was decorated with shades of green, crim-
Map of the Exhibition complex.
son, blue and gold. The ooring of the building was made
of wooden planks that rested directly on the ground with-
winners of the rst round had to have details such as out any space underneath it.
construction cost and time prepared for the runo on The orientation of the building was East-West in direc-
September 20, 1873. After the ten design winners were tion making it well lit and Glass was used between the
chosen, it was determined that none of them allowed frames to let in light. Skylights were introduced within
enough time for construction and limited nances. the structure, over the central aisles. The corridors of the
The Architecture of the Exhibition mainly consisted of building were separated by fountains, that were aesthetic
two ways of building, the traditional masonry monuments and also served the purpose of cooling.
and building of structural framework of Iron and Steel. The structure of the building, the central avenue was a se-
ries of parallel sheds that were 120 ft (37 m) wide, 1,832
ft (558 m) long, and 75 ft (23 m) high. It was the longest
3.1 Main Building nave ever introduced into an exhibition building. On ei-
ther sides of the nave, were avenues of 100 feet in width
and 1832 feet in length. Aisles of 48 ft wide were be-
tween the nave and the side avenues, and smaller aisles of
24 ft in width were on the outer sides of the building.
The exterior of the building consisted of 4 towers of 75
feet in height that stood at each of the buildings corners.
These towers served as small balconies or galleries of ob-
servation at dierent heights.
Within the building, Exhibits were arranged in a grid,
in a dual arrangement of type and national origin. Ex-
hibits from the United States were placed in the cen-
ter of the building, and foreign exhibits were arranged
around the center, based on the nations distance from the
Main Exhibition Building, Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia United States. Exhibits inside the Main Building dealt
(187576, disassembled and sold 1881). In terms of total area with mining, metallurgy, manufacturing, education and
enclosed, 21 acres, it was the largest building in the world. science.[9] Oces for foreign commissioners were placed
along the sides of the building, in the side aisles, in prox-
The Centennial Commission turned to third-place win- imity to the products exhibited. The walkways leading to
ners architect Henry Pettit and engineer Joseph M. Wil- the exit doors were 10 feet in width.
son for design and construction of the Main Exhibition
Building. A temporary structure, the Main Building was After the Exposition, the building was turned into a per-
the largest building in the world by area, enclosing 21.5 manent building for the International Exhibition. During
acres (8.7 ha).[5] It measured 464 ft in width and 1880 ft the auction held on December 1, 1876 the building was
in length. bought for $250,000. It quickly ran into nancial di-
culty but continued to remain open through 1879, before
It was constructed using prefabricated parts, with a wood being nally demolished in 1881.
and iron frame resting on a substructure of 672 stone
piers, the wrought iron roof trusses were supported by
the columns of the superstructure.
The building took eighteen months to complete and cost
$1,580,000. The building was surrounded by portals on
4 3
Horticultural Hall, Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia (1875
76, demolished 1954). Stereoscopic view from Robert N. Dennis
Collection, New York Public Library.
3.2 Agricultural Hall
The third largest structure at the Centennial was Agri-
cultural Hall. Designed by James Windrim, Agricultural
Hall was 820 ft (250 m) long and 540 ft (160 m) wide.
Made of wood and glass, the building was designed to
look like various barn structures pieced together. The
buildings exhibits included products and machines in
agriculture and other related businesses.[10]
3.3 Herman J. Schwarzmann
The Ohio House is one of only four buildings remaining from the
exposition, including Memorial Hall and the Centennial comfort
stations.
Herman J. Schwarzmann, an engineer for the Fairmount
Park Commission, was assigned as the main designer of
the exposition. Schwarzmann began working for the Fair-
mount Park Commission in 1869, which became the site
of the 1876 Centennial Exposition. It is one of the great
urban parks of America, its importance in landscape his-
tory exceeded only by Central Park. He was the chief
architect for the Centennial Exposition, designing Memo-
rial Hall, Horticultural Hall, other small buildings and
landscape around them. The work done for the Centen-
nial Exhibition was in reference to the Vienna Interna- Machinery Hall
tional Exhibition in 1873, for which Schwarzmann visited
the exhibition to analyse the buildings and the ground lay- Machinery Hall, the second largest building in the ex-
STRUCTURES
out. Taking the Vienna International Exhibition in 1873
as a caution, the exhibition was planned in order to avoid
the disastrous logistic planning that the vienna exposition
demonstrated.
In the Vienna Exposition, there was no convenient way
for visitors to reach the fairgrounds, and exorbitant rates
were charged by carriage drivers. With reference to these
experiences, the Philadelphia expo was ready for its vis-
itors, with direct rail road connections to service passen-
ger trains for every 30 minutes, trolley lines, street cars,
carriage routes and even docking facilities on the river.
3.4 Horticultural Hall
Situated high atop a hill presiding over Fountain Avenue,
Horticultural Hall epitomized oral achievement, which
attracted professional and amateur gardeners. Unlike
other main buildings, it was meant to be permanent. Hor-
ticultural Hall had an iron and glass frame on a brick and
marble foundation and was 383 ft (117 m) long, 193 ft (59
m) wide and 68 ft (21 m) tall.[11] The building was styled
after Moorish architecture and designed as a tribute to
The Crystal Palace from London's Great Exhibition. In-
side, nurserymen, orists and novice landscape exhibited
a variety of tropical plants, garden equipments, and gar-
den plans. In dramatic fashion, the Centennial introduced
the general public to the notion of landscape design, as ex-
emplied the building itself and the grounds surrounding
it. In terms landscape around it, a long, sunken parterre
leading from Horticultural Hall became the Centennials
Iconic oral feature, reproduced on countless postcards
and other memorabilia, This low garden enabled visi-
tors to best see the patterns and shapes of the beds from
the raised walkways. The buildings exhibits specialized
in horticulture and after the Exposition it continued to
exhibit plants until it was badly damaged by Hurricane
Hazel in 1954 and was demolished.[8]
3.5 Machinery Hall
3.6 Memorial Hall 5

position, located west of the Main Exhibition Building type, both from a stylistic and organizational standpoint,
was designed by Joseph M. Wilson and Henry Pettit. . for other museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago
This structure consisted of a main hall, 1402 ft long and (18921893), Milwaukee Public Museum (18931897),
360 ft wide, with a wing of 208 ft by 210 ft attached Brooklyn Museum (18931924), and Detroit Institute of
on the south side of the building. The building occupied Art (19201927). Libraries like the Library of Congress,
558,440 square feet, had 1,900 exhibitors in the Hall and New York Public Library and Free Library of Philadel-
took six months to construct. Much like its name, the ex- phia also emulated its form.
hibits displayed at Machinery Hall focused on machines After the Exposition, Memorial Hall reopened in 1877 as
and evolving industries.[12]
the Pennsylvania Museum of Art and included the Penn-
The building was composed of a superstructure made of sylvania Museum School of Industrial Art. In 1928 the
wood and glass, and rested on a foundation of massive museum moved to Fairmount at the head of the Ben-
masonry. The building was painted light blue and had jamin Franklin Parkway, and in 1938 was renamed the
8 dierent entrances. The length of the building was 18 Philadelphia Museum of Art. Memorial Hall continued
times its height. Machinery Hall was the show case for to house the school, and afterward was taken over by the
the state of the art industrial technology that was being Fairmount Park Commission in 1958.[14] The museum
produced at the time. The United States of America alone school is now the University of the Arts. The building
took up two-thirds of the exhibit space in the building. was later used as a police station and has now been reno-
One of the major attractions on display in the building vated to house the Please Touch Museum.[5][15]
was the Corliss Centennial Steam Engine that ran power
to all the machinery in the building as well as other parts
of the worlds fair. The engine was 70 feet tall, produced
1,400 horsepower and weighed 650 tons. It had 5 miles of
overhead line belts that connected to the machinery in the
building. It symbolized the power of technology that was
transforming the United States into an industrial nation.
Amenities available to the visitors within the hall were
rolling chairs, telegraph oces and dinner for fty cents.
Machinery Hall had 8,000 operating machines and was
lled with a wide assortment of hand tools, machine tools,
material handling equipment and the latest fastener tech-
nology.
Memorial Hall

3.6 Memorial Hall The British buildings were extensive and among other
things showed to America the evolved bicycle with Ten-
Also designed by Herman J. Schwarzmann, the Art sion Spokes and
Gallery building (now known as Memorial Hall) is made
of brick, glass, iron and granite. Memorial Hall, the only a large front wheel. Two English manufacturers displayed
exhibit building to survive on the Centennial site, was their high wheel bikes (called Ordinary bikes or slang
designed in the beaux-arts style and housed the art ex- penny farthings) at the Exposition: Bayless Thomas
hibits. It was the largest art hall in the country when and Rudge. It was these displays that caused Col. A.
it opened, with a massive 1.5-acre footprint and a 150- Pope to decide to begin making high wheel bikes in the
foot dome sitting atop a 59-foot-high structure with a USA. He started the Columbia Bike Company and within
150-foot dome sitting on top. It provided 75,000 square a few years was publishing a journal "LAW Bulletin and
feet of wall surface for paintings and 20,000 square feet Good Roads. This was the beginning of the Good Roads
of oor space for sculptures.The Centennial received so Movement.
many art contributions that a separate annex was built to Eleven nations beside the U.S. had their own exhibition
house them all. Another building was built for the dis- buildings. So did 26 of the 37 U.S. states. (Ohio House
play of photography.[13] Schwarzmann based his design alone survives.)[16] The United States government had a
for Memorial Hall on Nicholas Felix Escaliers project for cross-shaped building that held exhibits from various gov-
the Prix de Rome published in 186769. Constructed of ernment departments. The Womens Pavilion was the
granite, brick, glass and iron, Memorial Hall consisted rst structure at an international exposition devoted to
of a central domed area surrounded by four pavilions on showing o the work of women. The exhibits in this
the corners with open arcades east and west of the main building were created and operated by women. Domestic
entrance. During the exhibition, the building along with labor saving devices invented by women were also dis-
the Art Gallery Extension directly to its rear displayed the played. The items that were exhibited included a dish-
art of many nations.20. Memorial Hall became the proto- washer, a reliance stove, a stocking and glove darner,
6 4 EXPOSITION
etc. The goals of the exhibit was to promote labor saving
household gadgets that would provide women relief from
household work so that they can focus on other leisurely
activities of interest. The rest of the structures at the Cen-
tennial were corporate exhibitions, administration build-
ings, restaurants, and other buildings designed for public
comfort.[17]
3.7 Womans Pavilion
Womens Pavilion
The Womens Pavilion a project of the Womens Centen-
nial Executive Committee, was appointed in 1873 by the
United States Centennial Board of Finance. They hoped
the Womens Pavilion would generate greater enthusiasm
in the celebration of the fair by increasing subscriptions
to Centennial stock. Much of the pavilion was devoted
to what would be classied as womans domestic produc-
tion.
The president of the Womens Centennial Committee was
Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, great grand daughter of Ben-
jamin Franklin. Gillespie led the Womens centennial
executive committee in raising money to create the rst
Womens pavilion in exposition history. With the help
of Gillespie, the womens centennial committee reached
their goal of 82,000 signatures in 2 days to raise money
for the pavilion, she also helped convince Congress to
give the committee more money. Female organizers of
the event drew upon deeply rooted traditions of sepa-
ratism and sorority, as they planned, funded and man-
aged their own pavilion and devoted it entirely to the artis-
tic and industrial pursuits of their gender. Their overall
goal was to increase female condence and choices, win
womans social, economic, and legal advancement, abol-
ish unfair restrictions discriminating against their gen-
der, encourage sexual harmony, and gain inuence, lever-
age, and freedom for all women in and outside of the
home. They had to build their own building because
they lost their spot in one of the larger pavilions (Main
Building) due to a large increase in foreign interest. It
only took them 4 months to raise the needed funds to
build the pavilion. Their goal was to only use women
to build their pavilion, even to power their own build-
ing. To which they did except for one aspect which was
the design of the building. The building was designed
by Hermann J. Schwarzmann. The Centennial Women
not only showed domestic production but they also em-
ployed a popular means for justifying female autonomy
outside of the home as well. They did this by demon-
strating to visitors what ways women were making a prof-
itable living. When entering the building visitors found
exhibits that demonstrated positive achievements and in-
uence such as; industrial and ne arts: wood-carvings,
furniture-making, and ceramics; fancy articles: cloth-
ing, and woven goods, philanthropy: philosophy, science,
and medicine; education; literature; and inventions. The
pavilion also exhibited over eighty patented inventions for
example: a reliance stove, a hand attachment for a sewing
machine, a dish-washer, a fountain griddle- greaser, a
self-heating iron, a frame for stretching and drying lace
curtains, and a stocking and glove darner.
4 Exposition
Interior of Horticultural Hall. (1876)
The formal name of the Exposition was the International
Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and products of the
Soil and Mine, but the ocial theme was the celebration
of the United States Centennial. This was reinforced by
 7

promotional tie-ins, such as the publication of Kate Har-

rington's Centennial, and Other Poems, which commem-
orated the Exposition and the centennial. At the same
time, the Exposition was designed to show the world the
United States industrial and innovative prowess.[1] The
Centennial was originally set to begin in April for the an-
niversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, but
construction delays caused the date to be pushed ahead
to May 10. Bells rang all over Philadelphia to signal
the Centennials opening. The opening ceremony was at-
tended by U.S. President Ulysses Grant and his wife and
Emperor Pedro II of Brazil and his wife. The opening
ceremony ended in Machinery Hall with Grant and Pe-
dro II turning on the Corliss Steam Engine which pow-
ered most of the other machines at the Exposition. The
ocial number of rst day attendees was 186,272 people
with 110,000 entering with free passes.
In the days following the opening ceremony, attendance
dropped dramatically, with only 12,720 people visiting
the Exposition. The average daily attendance for May was
36,000 and 39,000 for June. A deadly heat wave began Monorail
in mid-June and continued into July hurting attendance.
The average temperature was 81 F (27.2 C), and ten of Machinery hall. Some of the main inventions on
times during the heat wave, the temperatures reached 100 display included sewing machines, typewriters, stoves,
F (37.8 C). The average daily attendance for July was lanterns and guns, plus horse-drawn wagons, carriages
35,000, but it rose in August to 42,000 despite the return and agricultural equipment.
of high temperatures at the end of the month.[18]
Some of the most well-known present day features on dis-
Cooling temperatures, news reports and word of mouth play at the Centennial Exposition, was a section of the
began increasing attendance in the nal three months of Statue of Liberty (her arm and torch) and the debut of
the Exposition, with many of the visitors coming from the worlds rst monorail system which featured a team
farther distances. In September the average daily at- locomotive and passenger car which straddled a single el-
tendance rose to 94,000 and to 102,000 in October. evated iron rail that rested several feet o the ground.
The highest attendance date of the entire Exposition was
September 28. The day, which saw about a quarter of The exposition also featured many well-known items
a million people attend, was Pennsylvania Day. Penn- of today such as; Alexander Graham Bells rst tele-
sylvania Day celebrated the 100th anniversary of the phone which was set up on opposite ends of Machinery
Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 and Exposition events Hall to demonstrate the transfer of human voice through
included speeches, receptions and reworks. The nal wires, the Automatic telegraph system and electric pen by
month of the Exposition, November, had an average daily Thomas Edison, screw-cutting machines that drastically
attendance of 115,000. By the time the Exposition ended improved the production of screws and bolts from 8,000
on November 10, a total of 10,164,489 had visited the to 100,000 a day, and a universal grinding machine by
fair.[6] Among the attendees who were duly impressed Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Co.
by the exposition were Princeton University sophomore A new technology on display were air-powered tools
Woodrow Wilson and his minister father, Dr. Joseph along with the mechanical calculator by George B. Grant.
Ruggles Wilson, visiting from North Carolina.[19] John A. Roeblings Sons & Co. also displayed their 5
Although not nancially successful for investors, the Cen- inch diameter slice of cable that was going to be used for
tennial Exposition impressed foreigners in that the coun- the Brooklyn Bridge. Besides machinery, visitors could
try grew industrially and commercially. The number of also nd new foods such as bananas, popcorn and Heinz
exports increased, the number of imports decreased, and ketchup.
the balance grew in favor of America.

6 Exhibits
5 Inventions Technologies introduced at the fair include the Corliss
Steam Engine. Pennsylvania Railroad displayed the
Mass-produced products and new inventions were on dis- John Bull steam locomotive that was originally built in
play at the 1876 World Fair, many found within the walls 1831.[20] Waltham Watch Company displayed the rst
8 7 SEE ALSO
Italian Dept. Memorial Hall Annex
Interior, Main Exhibition Building, looking west from grandstand
Krupp exhibit
automatic screw making machinery and won the Gold
Medal in the rst international watch precision compe-
tition. Until the start of 2004, many of the fairs exhibits
were in the Smithsonian Institution's Arts and Industries
Building in Washington, DC, adjacent to the Castle build-
ing.
Consumer products rst displayed to the public include:
Alexander Graham Bell's telephone
Remington Typographic Machine (typewriter)
Heinz Ketchup
Wallace-Farmer Electric Dynamo, precursor to
electric light
Hires Root Beer
Kudzu erosion control plant species
A reconstruction of a colonial kitchen replete with spin-
ning wheel and costumed presenters sparked an era of
Colonial Revival in American architecture and house
furnishings. The Swedish Cottage, representing a rural
Swedish schoolhouse of traditional style, was re-erected
after the Exposition closed, in Central Park, New York.
It is now the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre.
The New Jersey ocial State Pavilion was a recon-
struction of the Ford Mansion, which served as General
George Washingtons Headquarters during the winter of
177980 in Morristown, New Jersey. The reconstruc-
tion had a working colonial kitchen featuring a polem-
ical narrative of old-fashioned domesticity. This quaint
hearth and home view of the colonial past was juxtaposed
against the theme of progress, the overarching theme of
the exhibition serving to reinforce a view of American
progress evolving from a small hearty colonial stock and
not from a continual inux of multi-ethnic waves of im-
migration.
Right Arm and Torch of Statue of Liberty, 1876 Centennial Ex-
position.
The right arm and torch of the Statue of Liberty were
showcased at the Exposition. For a fee of 50 cents, visi-
tors could climb the ladder to the balcony, and the money
raised this way was used to fund the pedestal for the
statue.
Also displayed was the exquisite Gothic-style high altar
that Edward Sorin (founder of University of Notre Dame)
commissioned from the studios of Froc-Robert in Paris.
After the exhibit, the altar was installed at the Basilica
of the Sacred Heart on Notre Dames campus where it
remains to this day.
The building where visitors picked up ocial Exposi-
tion catalogues was, after the Exposition, dismantled and
moved to Wayne, Pennsylvania and later Straord, Penn-
sylvania, where it still stands, serving as that communitys
train station.
7 See also
Arts and Industries Building, the Smithsonian in

Washington, D.C., built in 187981 to house ex-
hibits from the Centennial Exposition
Centennial Arboretum
Centennial comfort stations
Sesquicentennial Exposition
United States Bicentennial
List of world expositions
List of worlds fairs
8 References
[1] Gross, Linda P.; Theresa R. Snyder (2005). Philadelphias
1876 Centennial Exhibition. Arcadia Publishing. p. 7.
ISBN 0-7385-3888-4.
[2] Wainwright, Nicholas; Weigley, Russell; Wolf, Edwin
(1982). Philadelphia: A 300-Year History. W.W. Nor-
ton & Company. p. 460. ISBN 0-393-01610-2.
[3] Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community De-
velopment Project. Consumer Price Index (estimate)
1800". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved
November 10, 2015.
[4] Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, p. 461
[5] Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, p. 462
[6] Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, pp. 467468
[7] Centennial National Bank
[8] Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, p. 464
[9] Philadelphias 1876 Centennial Exhibition, pp. 2930
[10] Philadelphias 1876 Centennial Exhibition, pp. 8586
[11] Philadelphias 1876 Centennial Exhibition, p. 95
[12] Philadelphias 1876 Centennial Exhibition, p. 67
[13] Philadelphias 1876 Centennial Exhibition, pp. 101103.
[14] Philadelphias 1876 Centennial Exhibition, p. 105
[15] Resinger, Kelly. Memorial Hall Update. Please Touch
Museum. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
[16] Ohio House. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation: Fair-
mount Park. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
[17] Philadelphias 1876 Centennial Exhibition, p. 109.
[18] Philadelphia: A 300-Year History, p. 466
[19] Berg, A. Scott (2013). Wilson. New York, NY: G.P. Put-
nams Sons. p. 62. ISBN 978-0-399-15921-3.
[20] Forney, M. N. (August 1888). American Locomotives
and Cars. Scribners Magazine IV (2): 177.
9
9 Bibliography
Gross, Linda P.; Theresa R. Snyder (2005).
Philadelphias 1876 Centennial Exhibition. Arcadia
Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-3888-4.
Harrington, Kate (1876). Centennial and Other
Poems. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-0-548-
43372-0.
J. S. Ingram (1876), The Centennial Exposition,
Philadelphia: Hubbard Bros., OCLC 1186046
Wainwright, Nicholas; Russell Weigley; Edwin
Wolf (1982). Philadelphia: A 300-Year History.
W.W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-01610-2.
Strahan (ed.), Edward (1875). A Century After, pic-
turesque glimpses of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.
Philadelphia: Allen, Lane & Scott and J. W. Laud-
erbach.
Centennial Exhibition: Exhibition Facts. Centen-
nial Exhibition: Exhibition Facts. N.p., 2001. Web.
06 Dec. 2015. http://libwww.library.phila.gov/
CenCol/exhibitionfax.htm
Weber, Austin. Then & Now: The 1876
Centennial Exposition. Assembly. Design,
CMS, Hosting & Web Development, 1 Sept.
2001. http://www.assemblymag.com/articles/
83790-then-now-the-1876-centennial-exposition
Cordato, Mary F. Women and The Philadelphia
Centennial Exhibition, 1876 | Cordato | Pennsyl-
vania Magazine of History and Biography. To-
ward A New Century. Pennsylvania Magazine of
History and Biography, 1 Jan. 1983. Web. 06
Dec. 2015.http://journals.psu.edu/pmhb/article/
view/43884/43605
Machinery Hall, Centennial Exposition 1876,
Philadelphia. 123HelpMe.com. 06 Dec 2015 http:
//www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=154804
Centennial Exhibition: Tours. Centennial Exhibi-
tion: Tours. Free Library of Philadelphia, 2001.
Web. 06 Dec. 2015. https://libwww.freelibrary.
org/CenCol/tours.htm
Calney, Mark. The Centennial ExhibitionThe
State Buildings. Sci Am Scientic American 34.21
(1876): 322-24. The International Centennial Exhi-
bition of 1876; or Why the British Started a World
War. Mark Calney 2010, 7 May 2006. Web. http:
//larouchejapan.com/japanese/drupal-6.14/sites/
default/files/text/1876-Centennial-Exhibition.pdf
Party Like Its 1876! 12 Items From the
Centennial Exposition. Mental Floss. Men-
tal Floss, Inc., 16 Aug. 2010. Web. 06
Dec. 2015. http://mentalfloss.com/article/25483/
party-its-1876-12-items-centennial-exposition
10 10 EXTERNAL LINKS

The Centennial Exhibition of 1876. The Philadel- Fairmount Park, Along Schuylkill River, Philadel-
phia Centennial Exhibition. World Expositions, n.d. phia, 45-page overview with description of
Web. 06 Dec. 2015. http://park.org/Pavilions/ Schuylkill River villas in the Park + 10 pages of site
WorldExpositions/philadelphia.text.html plans.

Lawson, Dennis T. Pennsylvania History. Centen-
nial Exhibition of 1876. Pennsylvania Historical and
Museum Commission, Web. 06 Dec. 2015. http:
//www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/ commu-
nity/things/4280/centennial_exhibition_of_1876
Hunt, John Dixon A world of gardens London:
Reaktion Books, 2012
Bruno Giberti, Designing the Centennial: A history
of the 1876 International Exhibition in Philadelphia,
university press of Kentucky, 2002.
General LeRoy Stones Centennial Monorail
Printed Description of the Painting of The Siege
of Paris in the Siege of Paris Building, Fairmount
Park Grounds, Centennial Exhibition of 1876
Historical Society of Pennsylvanias collection of
paintings by David J. Kennedy that depict the Cen-
tennial Exhibition
Manuscript Reminiscences of Some of the Centen-
nial Buildings of 1876, Written by 1891 by D.J.
Kennedy, Historical Society of Pennsylvania

International Exhibition. 1876, Ocial Catalogue, A nding aid for the Centennial Exhibition photo-
John R Nagle and company. graph and ephemera collection at Hagley Museum
and Library, which contains Centennial Exhibition
photographs, albums, scrapbooks, and ephemera.
10 External links
Centennial Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and
Products of the Soil and Mine

Centennial Exhibition

367 Stereoscopic views of the Centennial from New

York Public Library

Centennial exposition described and illustrated, be-

ing a concise and graphic description of this
grand enterprise commemorative of the rst cen-
tennary [sic] of American independence. Publisher:
Philadelphia, Hubbard bros, 1876.

A large collection of Stereoviews

Overview of an archival collection on the Centennial

Exhibition, The Winterthur Library

The Centennial Exhibition Collection, including

materials related to the planning of the exhibi-
tion, scrapbook collections of ephemera and over
3000 images, are available for research use at the
Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Exhibition 1876 Report to the Federal

High Council by Ed. Favre-Perret (1877)

American and Swiss Watchmaking in 1876 by

Jacques David

The Watch Factories of America Past and Present

by Henry G. Abbott (1888)

Watchmaking and the American System of Manu-

facturing (2009)
 11

11 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

11.1 Text
Centennial Exposition Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centennial_Exposition?oldid=727517953 Contributors: DavidLevinson,
Olivier, Ram-Man, Ken Arromdee, Haakon, Docu, JWSchmidt, Jengod, Dysprosia, Oaktree b, Wetman, Twang, Jsonitsac, Chowbok,
TiMike, Claude girardin, Xezbeth, Smalljim, Smarmon, Kevin Myers, Slambo, Me2hero, Jaardon, Bkobres, Ghirlandajo, Bobrayner,
Boothy443, Tabletop, Avram, Rjwilmsi, Tim!, Yamamoto Ichiro, Daderot, Eagle0Nine, SchuminWeb, BjKa, Peetah, Gaius Cornelius, C
colorado, Hugh Manatee, BOT-Superzerocool, Evrik, DVD R W, SmackBot, Hmains, Chris the speller, Beiki, Rcbutcher, Smallbones,
Bolivian Unicyclist, Kukini, Dogears, John, Bwmoll3, BillFlis, Mr Stephen, PRRfan, Nonexistant User, Iridescent, Joseph Solis in Aus-
tralia, Wikited, Van helsing, Neelix, Themightyquill, Cydebot, Medvedenko, N5iln, JustAGal, Mwprods, Albany NY, Acroterion, Ma-
gioladitis, P64, Jllm06, Jim.henderson, Tgeairn, Shawn in Montreal, KylieTastic, STBotD, VolkovBot, Philip Craft, Maile66, Katydidit,
HendersonMORR, Broadbot, Tamer of hope, Pennyfarthing87, Elcobbola, Lightmouse, OKBot, Diego Grez-Caete, Gigfoot, Ermcki,
Wikievil666, Icarusgeek, Mild Bill Hiccup, Albiart, Jdavis9000, TypoBoy, Piledhigheranddeeper, RayquazaDialgaWeird2210, Antigravi-
tyece, Rui Gabriel Correia, Pichpich, Dthomsen8, Addbot, Knight of Truth, LaaknorBot, Lightbot, Legobot, Luckas-bot, Yobot, BoringHis-
toryGuy, AnomieBOT, JackieBot, Lecen, Materialscientist, Citation bot, DrilBot, Cmguy777, Full-date unlinking bot, FoxBot, Trappist
the monk, Tbhotch, Beyond My Ken, ZroBot, Ida Shaw, H3llBot, Peoplefromarizona, ClueBot NG, Mm6119, Iiii I I I, K2545, Help-
ful Pixie Bot, JB63, Suzannecamille, Earaps, Ginsuloft, Burne-Jones, Sarliza, Monkbot, Vincius94, Joseph2302, Yackos21, KasparBot,
Srednuas Lenoroc, Wikipedian4262, Clio757, Prashanthi19, Ruoqu, Rsolan, Xmao9, Ou phrontis, Exposuniv and Anonymous: 59

11.2 Images
File:1876FairMainBldgGrandStandW.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/
1876FairMainBldgGrandStandW.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Period stereocard published by Centennial Photographic Co.
via eastman.org at [1] Original artist: Uncredited photographer for Centennial Photographic Co. Possibly Edward L. Wilson.
File:Centennial_Exhibition,_Opening_Day.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Centennial_
Exhibition%2C_Opening_Day.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: High resolution version of the engraving digitized and uploaded
by Bruce C. Cooper (User:Centpacrr) Original artist: James D. McCabe
File:Centennial_monorail.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Centennial_monorail.jpg License: Public
domain Contributors: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3b05203 Original artist: Centennial Photographic Co.
File:Centennialhorthall.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Centennialhorthall.jpg License: Public domain
Contributors:
1875 - A Century After, picturesque glimpses of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, edited by Edward Strahan, Published by Allen, Lane &
Scott and J. W. Lauderbach, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1875.
Original artist:
Edward Strahan,
File:Collossal_hand_and_torch._Bartholdi{}s_statue_of_\char"0022\relax{}Liberty.,_from_Robert_N._Dennis_collection_
of_stereoscopic_views.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Collossal_hand_and_torch._Bartholdi%
27s_statue_of_%22Liberty.%22%2C_from_Robert_N._Dennis_collection_of_stereoscopic_views.jpg License: Public domain
Contributors:
Original source: Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views. / United States. / States / Pennsylvania. / Stereoscopic views of the
Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia. (Approx. 72,000 stereoscopic views : 10 x 18 cm. or smaller.) digital record

Original artist: Unknown<a href='//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718' title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:Q4233718'

src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png' width='20'
height='11' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x,
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='1050'
data-le-height='590' /></a>
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contribu-
tors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Edward_L.Wilson_and_W.Irving_Adams,_Italian_Dept._Memorial_Hall_Annex.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/4/44/Edward_L.Wilson_and_W.Irving_Adams%2C_Italian_Dept._Memorial_Hall_Annex.jpg License: Public do-
main Contributors: Own work (scan) Original artist: Centennial photographic company
File:Great_Sanitary_Fair_1864.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Great_Sanitary_Fair_
1864.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Library of Congress, http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003677553/?sid=
262e56fd3964d9429eb540876f8c3d6e Original artist: Unknown<a href='//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718' title='wikidata:
Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:Q4233718' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.
svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png' width='20' height='11' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/
Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/
40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='1050' data-le-height='590' /></a>
File:Horticultural_Hall,_from_Robert_N._Dennis_collection_of_stereoscopic_views_3.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Horticultural_Hall%2C_from_Robert_N._Dennis_collection_of_stereoscopic_views_3.jpg License: Public
domain Contributors:
Original source: Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views. / United States. / States / Pennsylvania. / Stereoscopic views of the
Centennial Exhibition, 1876, Philadelphia. (Approx. 72,000 stereoscopic views : 10 x 18 cm. or smaller.) digital record

Original artist: Unknown<a href='//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718' title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:Q4233718'

src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png' width='20'
12 11 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

height='11' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x,

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='1050'
data-le-height='590' /></a>
File:International_Exhibition_map-The_Adams_&_Westlake_non_explosive_oil_stove._No._2_Stove_-_The_Adams_&_
Westlake_Stove_for_1882_is_a_complete_change_from_all_former_patterns._(back).jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/b/b9/International_Exhibition_map-The_Adams_%26_Westlake_non_explosive_oil_stove._No._2_Stove_-_The_
Adams_%26_Westlake_Stove_for_1882_is_a_complete_change_from_all_former_patterns._%28back%29.jpg License: Public domain
Contributors: Flickr: The Adams & Westlake non explosive oil stove. No. 2 Stove - The Adams & Westlake Stove for 1882 is a complete
change from all former patterns. (back) Original artist: Boston Public Library
File:Joseph_Roswell_Hawley_-_Brady-Handy.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a0/Joseph_Roswell_
Hawley_-_Brady-Handy.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Brady-Handy
Photograph Collection. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpbh.04725. CALL NUMBER: LC-BH832- 1293 <P&P>[P&P] Original artist:
Mathew Brady
File:Krupp_Exhibit_-_1876_Centennial_Exhibition_-_Philadelphia_-_print.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/
commons/a/ad/Krupp_Exhibit_-_1876_Centennial_Exhibition_-_Philadelphia_-_print.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: http:
//pro.corbis.com/Enlargement/Enlargement.aspx?id=BK011200&ext=1 (image) Original artist: Centennial Photographic Company -
Harpers Weekly
File:Machhall.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Machhall.jpg License: Public domain Contributors:
http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/research/library/imagecollections/photographs-of-international-expositions/philadelphia-1876.
html in slideshow Original artist: Unknown<a href='//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718' title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:
Q4233718' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png'
width='20' height='11' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.
svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x'
data-le-width='1050' data-le-height='590' /></a>
File:MainBuilding.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/MainBuilding.jpg License: Public domain Con-
tributors: Earl Shinn, Walter Smith & Joseph M. Wilson: Masterpieces of the Centennial International Exhibition Illustrated (Philadel-
phia: Gebbie & Barrie, 1876-78, vol. 3, p. lxxxix Original artist: Smithsonian Institution Libraries, http://www.sil.si.edu/silpublications/
worlds-fairs/WF_object_images.cfm?book_id=574
File:Memorial_Hall_Phila.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Memorial_Hall_Phila.jpg License: Pub-
lic domain Contributors: This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the
digital ID hhh.pa0944.
This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information.
Original artist: Jack E. Boucher
File:Ohio_House_Fairmount_Philly.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Ohio_House_Fairmount_
Philly.JPG License: CC0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Smallbones
File:The_Centennial_Tower_Philadelphia_1876.jpeg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/The_
Centennial_Tower_Philadelphia_1876.jpeg License: Public domain Contributors: [1] Original artist: user:Jeangagnon
File:Woman{}s_pavilion,_by_Centennial_Photographic_Co.RHS.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/
5b/Woman%27s_pavilion%2C_by_Centennial_Photographic_Co.RHS.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Wikimedia Commons
Original artist: Centennial Photographic Co.

11.3 Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0