The Centennial International Exhibition was held in Philadelphia from May 10 to November 10, 1876. Planning for it began in 1871 when Congress passed an act to create the Centennial Commission. A portion of Fairmount Park in Philadelphia was used as the fairgrounds, and Hermann J. Scwarzmann, a German immigrant, was chosen to design the layout of the exhibition. By early 1875, construction was underway on the fair's large buildings and some 250 pavilions and auxiliary structures. The major buildings were Memorial Hall, Machinery Hall, the Main Building, Horticultural Hall, and Agricultural Hall. Everything displayed at the Centennial was classified into one of eight departments: Mining and Metallurgy, Manufactures, Education, Science, Art, Machinery, Agriculture, and Horticulture. (These names of the departments were subsequently adapted by Melvil Dewey as the basis for his library classification scheme, the Dewey Decimal System.)

Although the Centennial lost money, it provided ample evidence of American progress in education, industry, and the arts, and would have a lasting impact on foreign trade.

The collection consists of miscellaneous photographs, a glass lantern slide, stereographs, lithographs, advertising materials, maps, and other memorabilia relating to the Centennial International Exhibition. The photographs and stereographs depict the interiors and exteriors of fair buildings. Several feature sculptures that were displayed in the Italian section. A series of colored lithographs published by Thomas Hunter depict the exteriors of fair buildings and the surrounding landscape.

Several pieces of advertising pertain to pre-centennial events and the First Centennial Train ride in October of 1875. The events were sponsored by Philadelphia merchants in an effort to raise money and publicize the exhibition. Other printed items include fair regulations, building descriptions, and a few advertisements produced by exhibiting firms. A broadside with the rail road route and a souvenir map with advertisements round out the printed material.

The collection also features the “Centennial Exhibition Puzzle Blocks,” manufactured by George H. Chinook. It includes pieces for five puzzles that when put together show the Art Gallery, Machinery Hall, Horticultural Hall, Agricultural Hall, and the Main Building. The bottom of the box offers descriptions of each of the buildings. Finally, a double handkerchief with a depiction of the Memorial Hall Art Gallery and an American eagle is included in the collection.

The materials are grouped by type: photographs and stereographs, lithographs, advertising materials and memorabilia, and miscellaneous.

None

Copyright restrictions may apply

Purchased from various sources.

OVERVIEW OF THE COLLECTION Repository code: DeWint File name: col259.xml Abstract: A collection of photographs, maps, advertising items, lithographs, and other memorabilia related to the Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876. Extent: 0.5 linear feet Date range: 1874-1878 Related materials: Language: English Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera Winterthur, DE 19732 (302) 888-4853 Centennial Exhibition Collection Col. 259 Creator: Centennial Exhibition Title: Collection Dates: 1874-1878 Call No.: Col. 259 Acc. No.: [various - see detailed description] Quantity: 2 boxes, 1 folder Location: 18 G 1-2