- This is a collection of primary-source materials on the International Exhibition of 1876, the first major world’s fair in the United States. The Exhibition took place in Philadelphia from May to November 1876 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.
- About 10 million visitors attended the Exhibition in which 35 nations participated. The Exhibition encompassed more than 200 buildings, including the Machinery Hall, Agricultural Hall, Horticultural Hall, Art Gallery, and the Women’s Pavilion
- Following the success of her first official participation in the International Exhibition in Vienna, Japan participated in the 1876 Fair, and her exhibits had a profound impact on American culture, the decorative arts in particular, and was considered as an epoch-making event in the Japonism movement in USA.
- This collection draws on six separate source materials: the official catalogue; the official history; two different guidebooks produced for contemporary visitors; and two publications related to the Japanese exhibits, all carefully reproduced in facsimile format, with many plates, foldout plans, and illustrations.
Volume 1
Visitors’ Guide to the Centennial Exhibition and Philadelphia, Authorized by the Centennial Board of Finance, and Approved by the Director-General. The Only Guide-book Sold on the Exhibition Grounds
J. B. Lippincott & Co, Philadelphia, 1876, c. 52pp. + 2 fold-outs
Magee’s Illustrated Guide of Philadelphia and the Centennial Exhibition: A Guide and Description to All Places of Interest in or about Philadelphia, to the Centennial Grounds and Buildings, and Fairmount Park
R. Magee & Son, Philadelphia, 1876, c. 193pp. + 3 fold-outs + 1 colour plate
International Exhibition, 1876, Official Catalogue of the Japanese Section and Descriptive Notes on the Industry and Agriculture of Japan
The Japanese Commission, Philadelphia, 1876, c. 138pp. + 4 fold-outs + 2 colour plates
The Empire of Japan, Brief Sketch of the Geography, History and Constitution
Imperial Commission for the Philadelphia International Exhibition, Philadelphia, 1876, c. 45pp.
Volumes 2 and 3
United States Centennial Commission: International Exhibition 1876, Official Catalogue, 1876
2nd revised edition, John R. Nagle & Co., Philadelphia, 1876
Volume 2
Part 1: Main Building and Annexes; Part 2: Art Gallery, Annexes, & Out-door Works of Art, c. 644pp.
Volume 3
Part 3: Machinery Hall, Annexes, & Special Buildings, c. 565pp.
Volumes 4 and 5
James D. McCabe, The Illustrated History of the Centennial Exhibition Held in Commemoration of the One Hundredth Anniversary of American Independence
National Publishing Co., Philadelphia, 1876
Volume 4
Chapters 1–13, c. 505pp. + 13 fold-outs
Volume 5
Chapters 14–31, c. 463pp.
