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The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition of 1926 was a world's fair in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...
. Its purpose was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the
United States Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House ...
, and the 50th anniversary of the 1876 Centennial Exposition.


History


Planning

In 1916, the idea for a Sesquicentennial Exposition stemmed from the mind of John Wanamaker, who was the only living member of the Centennial Exposition's Finance Committee. At the time Philadelphia was a booming city, in terms of size and opportunity; however, it suffered from corruption on political and financial fronts. Wanamaker was well aware of the city's corruption, and believed a fair could redeem Philadelphia's reputation. He believed by hosting another world's fair, the restoration of the city's integrity, patriotism, and industry would emerge. By the end of August 1916, Wanamaker received the support of Howard French, the president of the Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. In October, plans were underway, and French assigned a committee responsible for planning the "Great International Exposition of Philadelphia in 1926".  The Fairmount Parkway, which was under construction, would be the official site of the exposition.  Unfortunately, in 1917 the United States found itself involved in World War I, which caused the planning for the Sesquicentennial Exposition to be placed on hold. After
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, Philadelphia suffered because of losses in the war, the spread of Spanish Influenza, and the hardships of
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...
.  These circumstances combined made the city's atmosphere bleak, even with the election of the new mayor
J. Hampton Moore Joseph Hampton Moore (March 8, 1864 – May 2, 1950) was the 108th and 111th Mayor of Philadelphia and a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Biography J. Hampton Moore was born in Woodbury, New J ...
. Through these hardships, Wanamaker's hope and vision for a celebration of Philadelphia continued. Wanamaker took advantage of an interview on July 11, 1919, by using the opportunity to discuss his ideas for a 1926 world's fair.  From this interview, he received the support of other notable Philadelphians as well as the Franklin Institute and Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, who encouraged Mayor Moore to participate in immediate planning.  By November 1920, Moore hosted an event to discuss and develop plans for the Sesquicentennial Exposition, resulting in the establishment of the Committee of 100. The committee's first meeting was held on January 24, 1921, renaming itself the Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition Association (SCEA). Mayor Moore had been elected as the SCEA's president, while Wanamaker was appointed honorary chairman to its board. The honor of hosting this celebration was awarded to Philadelphia in 1921. Initial grand plans were scaled down tremendously by the time the fair opened. The original director of the exposition, Colonel David C. Collier, resigned in protest over these budget cuts. His replacement, Captain Asher C. Baker, retired due to illness days before the festival opened, leaving things in the hands of E. L. Austin. Baker died less than two weeks later.


Opening

The fair opened on May 31, 1926, and ran through November on grounds bounded by 10th Street, Packer Avenue, 23rd Street, and the U.S. Navy Yard (Terminal Avenue) in South Philadelphia. Originally known as
League Island Park Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park (originally named League Island Park) is a park located along the Delaware River in the southernmost point of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising some which includes a golf course (closed and conver ...
, these grounds are now occupied by
FDR Park Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park (originally named League Island Park) is a park located along the Delaware River in the southernmost point of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising some which includes a golf course (closed and conver ...
,
Marconi Plaza Marconi Plaza is an urban park square located in South Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The plaza was named to recognize the 20th-century cultural identity in Philadelphia of the surrounding Italian-American enclave neighborhood and beca ...
, Packer Park Residential Neighborhood, the three stadiums of Philadelphia's massive South Philadelphia Sports Complex ( Wells Fargo Center,
Lincoln Financial Field Lincoln Financial Field is an American football stadium located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It serves as the home stadium of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) and the Temple Owls football team of Temple University. ...
, and Citizens Bank Park), and the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
training complex which now occupy that portion of the grounds which from 1933 to 1993 were the site of Philadelphia Naval Hospital (demolished 2001). The senior draftsman for the design of the exposition buildings was a young Louis Kahn, later a world-renowned architect, then working under City Architect John Molitor. Sculptor Charles Tefft as chosen as the director of sculpture for the fair while noted Philadelphia sculptor and artist
Albert Laessle Albert Laessle (March 28, 1877 – September 4, 1954) was an American sculptor and educator. He taught at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts for more than twenty years and is best remembered as an animalier. He won the 1918 Widener Gol ...
created the fair's Medals of Award.


Highlights

Organizers constructed an 80-foot replica of the Exposition's symbol, the Liberty Bell, covered in 26,000 light bulbs, at the gateway to the festival. Sesqui-Centennial Stadium (later known as Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and, after 1964, John F. Kennedy Stadium) was built in conjunction with the fair. The stadium had been a significant aspect of the fair, due to several events being held there. These events include religious ceremonies, the patriotic pageant known as "Freedom," and numerous sporting events. One of the most infamous events was the September 23rd championship boxing match between Gene Tunney and
Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926 ...
, which drew a crowd of 125,000 people standing in the rain to witness the occasion. Also on display at the exposition was the Curtis Organ, still one of the largest
pipe organ The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air (called ''wind'') through the organ pipes selected from a keyboard. Because each pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ''rank ...
s in the world. In 1926 the first bridge (later renamed Benjamin Franklin Bridge) spanning the Delaware River between center city Philadelphia and
Camden, New Jersey Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 20 ...
, was built in anticipation of the attending crowds. Key speakers at the opening ceremonies were Secretary of State Frank B. Kellogg, Secretary of Commerce and future President
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, holding o ...
, and Philadelphia Mayor W. Freeland Kendrick. At the center of the exposition along the main thoroughfare on a segment of south Broad Street known as the Southern Boulevard Parkway was the Forum of Founders consisting of the Court of Honor, the Liberal Arts and Agriculture Buildings, a group of sculptures and the Stairway of Nations facing on the opposing side the spectacular Tower of Light. Another highlight for fair goers, revolved around the recreation of Philadelphia's High Street during the city's colonial period. This area consisted of over twenty buildings, along with guides dressed in period clothing to interact with people. The Exposition also included an amusement area, located within League Island Park. The area was designated as "Treasure Island." It occupied over five acres and was referred to as a children's paradise. A variety of amusements and entertainment were available. Included were a replica of the Canadian Rockies, a miniature railroad, mountain slide, Robinson Crusoe's Beach, a pirate's lair, boat rides and Noah's Ark complete with animals. The exposition had a number of roller coasters. These included
The Cyclone The Cyclone, also the Coney Island Cyclone, is a wooden roller coaster at Luna Park in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City. Designed by Vernon Keenan, it opened to the public on June 26, 1927. The roller coaster is on a plot of land at ...
, a prototype of Harry Traver's Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters and an installation of his
Jazz Railway Jazz Railway (sometimes Jazz Railroad) was an early model line of wood roller coasters incorporating a steel-frame structure. These operated at various amusement parks and fairgrounds during the mid to late 1920s. The coaster model is considered to ...
model of coaster. Naval Air Facility Mustin Field was dedicated at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on September 17, 1926, in honor of Captain Henry C. Mustin, Navy Air Pilot No.3, and Naval Aviator No. 11, who recorded the first catapult launch from a moving vessel on November 5, 1915, when he flew off of USS ''North Carolina'' in a
Curtiss Model AB-2 The Curtiss Models F made up a family of early flying boats developed in the United States in the years leading up to World War I. Widely produced, Model Fs saw service with the United States Navy under the designations C-2 through C-5, later ...
. "It was a major event that drew 1,500 spectators, among them Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Theodore Douglas Robinson, Brig. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Rear Adm.
William Moffett William Adger Moffett (October 31, 1869 – April 4, 1933) was an American admiral and Medal of Honor recipient known as the architect of naval aviation in the United States Navy. Biography Born October 31, 1869 in Charleston, South Carolina, ...
, and Philadelphia Mayor W. Freeland Kendrick, who had been a childhood friend of Capt. Mustin. The dedication took place toward the end of the six-month Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition, whose president was John Wanamaker. Thirty foreign nations attended the Sesqui, and all the planes from the exhibition flew in formation with aircraft of the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps to honor Mustin."


Reception and legacy

From its opening day on May 31, the exposition already faced challenges to its success. The fair opened with a heavy downpour of rain, causing many fair goers to leave. However, one man, Jacob J. Henderson had been proud to be the first person to enter the fairgrounds at the 9:00 A.M. opening. He stated that he had been to the Centennial with his parents, and did not want to miss opening day of the Sesqui. Within the first hour, it is believed that less than 250 entered the gates of the fairgrounds. The fair drew a much smaller crowd than anticipated (about 10 million people). '' Variety'' dubbed it "America's Greatest Flop" with a loss of $20 million by August 1926. The exposition ended up unable to cover its debts and was placed into receivership in 1927, at which point its assets were sold at auction.
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in ...
commemorated the Sesquicentennial by giving a $800,000 replica of Bernini's ''Fountain of Sea Horses'' to the city, which arrived after the fair closed. Installed in Fairmount Park, it was neglected for many years before being restored in 2013. A commemorative stamp, showing the Liberty Bell ( Scott catalogue number 627) was printed, and two early United States commemorative coins were minted. Known as the United States Sesquicentennial coinage, they included a silver half dollar and a gold Quarter eagle. The fifty cent coin shows the heads of George Washington and
Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a Republican lawyer from New England who climbed up the ladder of Ma ...
on the obverse, and the Liberty Bell on the reverse. The $2 1/2 coin has on the obverse Liberty holding a torch and the Declaration of Independence while standing on a globe; the reverse depicts Independence Hall. The stamp was issued in large numbers and is very inexpensive. The coins sold only moderately well, although both remain more common than many commemorative issues of this period.


Possible 2026 revival

A group called USA250 is looking to hold another world's fair-type exhibition in Philadelphia in 2026 to commemorate America's 250th birthday. In April 2015, the Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed a resolution to study the matter.Global Philadelphia
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See also

* Centennial Exposition, 100th anniversary of the United States (1876) * United States Bicentennial, the 200th anniversary of the United States (1976) * United States Semiquincentennial, planned 250th anniversary event (2026)


References


Further reading

* ''Sesqui! Greed, Graft, and the Forgotten World's Fair of 1926'' by Thomas H. Keels, 2017, Temple University Press


External links


1926 Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition

Collection of Photographs from Sesquicentennial Exposition
''Philly''History.org.
Collection of artwork Postcards, Brochures, Photographs, related items from Sesquicentennial Exposition


- approximately 85 links
The Sesquicentennial of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence
- YouTube, documentary, 24m06s
Sesqui! Greed, Graft, and the Forgotten World's Fair of 1926
- MP3, audio, 48m01s, at Philadelphia Athenæum
Jack Dempsey Loses Crown to Gene Tunney This Day September 23, 1926
- Boxing Hall of Fame, YouTube, documentary, 10m47s
The Women's Committee and Their High Street Exhibit
- master's thesis, 230pp, at Internet Archive
Letter from Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition to W.E.B. DuBois, July 1, 1926
- at UMass Amherst
President Calvin Coolidge's Address at the Celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- speech text, at The American Presidency Project
Sesqui-Centennial Exposition March
by John Philip Sousa, performed by Sousa's Band, audio, 3m14s, at Internet Archive
Philadelphia (All the Time)--March (The Sesqui-Centennial Song)
by Dieck-Murphy-Shister, performed by Arthur Pryor's Band with male chorus, audio, 2m58s, at Internet Archive
The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition: 150 Years of American Independence
- book, 520pp, at Internet Archive {{Coord, 39.9087158, -75.1732635, format=dms, type:landmark, display=title * World's fairs in Philadelphia United States Declaration of Independence anniversaries 1926 in Pennsylvania 1920s in Philadelphia South Philadelphia