Centennial Exposition

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Opening day ceremonies at the Centennial Exhibition

The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official world's fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. It was officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine.

It was held in Fairmount Park, along the Schuylkill River. The fairgrounds were designed by Hermann Schwarzmann. About 10 million visitors attended, equivalent to about 20% of the population of the United States at the time (though many were repeat visitors). A reconstruction of a "colonial kitchen" replete with spinning 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.

Until the start of 2004, many of the fair's exhibits were in the Smithsonian Institution's Arts and Industries Building in Washington, DC, adjacent to the Castle building.

Few of the exposition's buildings remain on the site. Memorial Hall, which housed the art gallery, still stands and in 2006 was being converted for use as Philadelphia's Please Touch Museum. Also still standing: the Ohio state building, on Belmont Avenue, and the Catholic Total Abstinence Fountain.

[edit] New products

Technologies introduced at the fair include the Corliss Steam Engine. Waltham Watch Company displayed the first automatic screw making machinery and won the Gold Medal in the first international watch precision competition.

Consumer products first displayed to the public include:

Alexander Graham Bell's telephone
the Remington Typographic Machine (typewriter)
Heinz Ketchup
Hires Root Beer

[edit] See also

Centennial Arboretum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

[edit] External links

Centennial Exhibition
Centennial exposition described and illustrated, being a concise and graphic description of this grand enterprise commemorative of the first centennary of American independence. Publisher: Philadelphia, Hubbard bros, 1876.