1876 Centennial Exhibition

As part of my contribution to my group's final project, I have been researching the 1876 Centennial Exhibition that took place in Philadelphia. Since we will be visiting the Exhibition grounds during Thursday's class, I thought it would be appropriate to share some of my general findings. The 1876 Centennial Exhibition celebrated America's 100th birthday. Held along the Schuylkill River, on 285 acres of Fairmount Park, the celebration was attended by over 9 million people. 37 nations from around the world participated in the event, officially known as the International Exhibition of Art, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine. Philadelphia was the chosen location for the Exhibition because at the time it was the center of industry and culture. The Exhibition showed the world how much America had grown in the past 100 years.

Above is an image of the original Horticultural Hall that stood on the Exhibition grounds. During it's time, the structure was used to display exotic plants brought from visiting nations.

Many of you may recognize this structure, known as Memorial Hall, as the home of Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum. However, during the Centennial Exhibition, this building served as a temporary art museum, where people from all over the globe displayed their artwork.

France designed Liberty Englightening the World, known as the Statue of Liberty, as a gift for America's 100th birthday. At the Centennial Exhibition, France displayed the arm and torch of the statue. The Exhibition raised money to finish the statue by charging visitors 50 cents to climb to the balcony.