United States. Centennial Commission

Organized the 1876 United States Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia.

From the description of United States Centennial Commission records, 1876-1879. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122648143

Following the end of the American Civil War, Americans began to prepare for the celebration of the nation's 100th birthday in 1876. Various citizens of Philadelphia proposed that this exhibition should be held in this city and a resolution to that effect was adopted by the Select and Common Councils in January 1870. Subsequently, the Legislature of Pennsylvania supported this resolution and a memorial was submitted to Congress. Early in March 1870, a bill was presented to the House of Representatives and, after several amendments, was adopted by Congress on 3 March 1871.

This Act created a Commission composed of one delegate from each state and territory appointed by the President to one-year terms. The chief duty assigned the Commission was to:

...prepare and superintend the execution of a plan for holding an exhibition, and, after conference with the authorities of the city of Philadelphia, to fix upon a suitable site within the corporate limits of the said city where the exhibition shall be held.

The Commission was charged to hold its meetings in Philadelphia. The Act was clear that, although created by an Act of Congress, the Commission was prohibited from accepting any money from the United States Treasury either as compensation for its members or for any expenses for the exhibition itself.

During 1871, President U. S. Grant appointed the various commissioners and the first meeting date was set for March 4, 1872. The Commission was incorporated by an Act of Congress of June 1, 1872, which also created the incorporated Centennial Board of Finance (Record Group 231). The Commission met in only nine sessions, from March 1872 to January 15, 1879, the date of its final adjournment. Its responsibilities were carried out chiefly by an Executive Committee formed in May 1872, and was composed of thirteen members who in turn chose a Director-General to whom all subsidiary bureaus and committees were required to report. The Executive Committee, acting in cooperation with the Directors of the Centennial Board of Finance, maintained control of the basic functions of the gathering, display, and judging of exhibits throughout the exhibition.

The grounds to be used by the International Exhibition were recently acquired by the City of Philadelphia as part of Fairmount Park (Record Group 149). On July 4, 1873, a tract of approximately 450 acres overseeing the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was formally transferred to the United States Centennial Commission for use as the exhibition grounds, with great ceremonies. Exactly one year later, the ground was formally broken for the Exhibition buildings. At the request of Congress, the President invited foreign nations to participate in the Exhibition on June 5, 1874.

The International Exhibition opened to the public on May 10, 1876 and closed on November 10, 1876. The United States Centennial Commission continued in existence until all of the financial accounting was completed and held their final sessions on January 15, 1879.

In the Director-General's report, he states "the importance of disseminating correct information about the Exhibition led to the establishment of the Department of the Press." The Commission provided an office where duly accredited newspaper writers were given desks, stationery and information. This office could accommodate 60 writers at one time and approximately 500 persons connected with American and foreign newspapers registered during the Exhibition.

The Centennial Board of Finance was created as an incorporated body by an Act of Congress of June 1, 1872 at the direct request of the United States Centennial Commission. The Board was composed of 749 Corporators named in the Act who, along with holders of the stock issued by the Board, annually chose twenty-five "Directors of the Board of Finance" who thereafter exercised the Board's duties. Nominees for these seats were chosen by the Centennial Commission. The Director's functions consisted primarily of the raising of funds through the sale of stock (governmental donations including $575,000 from the City of Philadelphia, $1,000,000 from the State of Pennsylvania and a loan of $1.5 million from the Federal government), and the construction and maintenance of the buildings and grounds subject to the general approval of the Centennial Commission. The accounts of the Board of Finance were audited and accepted by the Centennial Commission in January 1879 although contents of several record series listed within this group indicate that the Board was engaged in settling its affairs at least through 1881.

The Centennial Board of Finance had a number of standing committees to assist them with the work of financing the Exhibition, its buildings and grounds. These were the Committee on Finance and Accounts, Committee on Grounds, Plans & Buildings, Committee on Concessions, Committee of Revision and Supplies, Committee on Transportation, Custom Duties, etc., Committee on Insurance, Committee on Admissions, Committee on Printing and Publishing, Committee on Music, Committee on Hotels, and Committee on Boarding Accommodations for Visitors. Many of these committees worked closely with and oversaw the work of many of the executive departments of the United States Centennial Commission. As a result, the records of many of the activities may be found in both record groups.

As the preparations for the Exhibition advanced, it was found necessary, in order to insure the dispatch of all business, to have every branch of the work organized and thoroughly systematized, with experts at the head of each department. Accordingly, to complete the organization of the central office, the Director-General, with the approval of the Executive Committee, created administrative bureaus and departments, each of which discharged its appropriate duties under his supervision and control. The following, with the department of the Secretary of the Commission, and those organized by the Centennial Board of Finance, comprised the Executive Departments of the Exhibition.

The Department of Admissions was created on December 1, 1875 and oversaw the admission procedures at the Centennial Exhibition. In addition to collecting admission fees and issuing passes to the grounds, the Department was also responsible for the creation of the forms to be used for tickets, passes, and various reports to be filled out by the various turnstile attendants. It had to man 106 entrance gates and 17 wagon gates each day. There were three classes of admissions: Class A, for those who paid; Class B, for complimentary passes; and Class C, for exhibitors, attendants, employees and reporters.

The Bureau of Agriculture was organized on February 25, 1875. In accordance with the published circular letter, the Bureau "will comprehend the native and cultivated products of the soil, and of objects more directly derived there from, agricultural machinery and farm appliances." The Bureau also announced that it was providing accommodations for the display of live-stock in the fall months of September and October. It was principally responsible for the installation of displays and the maintenance of Agricultural Hall, the Dairy Building, the Butter and Cheese Building, Brewers' Hall, the Wagon Building, and Pomological Hall. Initially, the Bureau planned for a competitive trial of agricultural machinery but this was later replaced with a voluntary trial and exhibition of machinery, without awards.

The Bureau of Awards was responsible for the judging of the various exhibits and the final awards. The judges were appointed by the governments of their respective countries but they became paid members of the Commission staff during the course of their adjudication. The number of judges necessary for each grouping was determined by the Bureau of Awards.

There were many problems experienced with the awards systems at previous international exhibitions, principally those encountered at the English exhibitions of 1851 and 1862 and the French exhibitions of 1855 and 1867. The United States Centennial Commission set up an award system that was largely based upon the reforms agreed upon by the Commissioners-General of France, Great Britain, Russia, Austria, Prussia, Italy and the United States, following the close of the 1867 Exhibition. A summary of the system was reported in the Final Report of the Director-General. The summary had details such as abolishing an international jury and awards by graduated prize medals, a body of 250 judges was substituted, each one to be chosen for his qualifications for particular classes of work to be assigned to him. Awards were to be based on reports made in writing by the judges setting forth the inherent and comparative merits of each product adjudged, and such reports to be attested by the signatures of their authors, and awards were to consist of a diploma signed by the executive officers; a uniform bronze medal or memorial alike for all, and a certified copy of the special report of the judges on the subject of the awards.

The Department of the Engineer of the Centennial Grounds was organized on January 1, 1874 and consisted of a Chief Engineer, two Assistant Engineers and several helpers. This department was responsible for laying out the grounds of the Exhibition, for design and construction of the permanent Exhibition buildings, and for oversight of the construction of the other Exhibitions buildings. Most of the landscaping work also came under its jurisdiction.

The Bureau of Protection consisted of the Centennial Guard and the Fire Patrol. Initially, the Commission hoped that the United States Government would detail a sufficient force from the regular army for guard duty. As this hope failed, the Commission organized a regiment of a thousand men, including officers, which would be recruited and equipped for the purposes of security on the grounds. Eventually, the Guard recruited a total of 1,409 men to serve. On any given day, over 550 men would be on duty. The Bureau of Protection also oversaw the Centennial Fire Department, organized on February 5, 1876. In addition to two fire houses on the grounds, firemen were stationed at various buildings throughout the Exhibition in case of alarm.

The Bureau of Telegraphy was responsible for the installation of telegraph lines between the offices of the Philadelphia Police & Fire Alarm Telegraph, Centennial Commission, the Centennial Board of Finance and the Exhibition grounds, which was started in 1873. During 1876, the Bureau of Telegraphy was responsible for the installation of many lines throughout the grounds in order to quicken communications.

There are no records surviving from this Bureau, except final report of the Bureau of Telegraphy, can be found in Record Series 230-2.1, Final Report of the Director-General .

The Bureau of Classification and Catalogue was born in the first days of the United States Centennial Commission, which determined that a classification of the various exhibits was necessary, both for their arrangement in the Exhibition and in their appearance in the Official Catalogue. The Committee designed a system that was both systematic and geographic. As planning for the buildings on the grounds proceeded, it became apparent that the classification system would have to be changed to accommodate five principal buildings, instead of one as originally conceived. The work of the rearrangement of the classification was assigned to the Secretary's Office, which proceeded to create an arrangement of seven departments. The Secretary's Office attempted to adhere as closely as possible to the original plan of the Commission.

The Main Building held the exhibits of three departments: I. Mining and Metallurgy; II. Manufactures; and III. Education and Science. The Art Gallery (now Memorial Hall) was the site of department IV: Art. The fifth department (Machinery) was located in Machinery Hall, while the sixth department (Agriculture) was held in Agricultural Hall. Finally, Horticultural Hall, the other building intended to remain as a permanent memorial to the Exhibition, hosted the various horticultural exhibits of Department VII.

The Bureau of Art was formally organized with a Chief of Bureau in September 1875. The Bureau was responsible for three buildings: Memorial Hall (the Art Gallery), the Art Annex and Photographic Hall. The Bureau was aided by several committees, including an Advisory Committee, a Committee on Selection and a Committee on Arrangement. The Committee on Selection was to view American works gathered in Boston, New York and Philadelphia and select those to be exhibited at the Centennial. The Committee on Arrangement, composed principally of professional artists and an architect, was to assist the Bureau in the proper arrangement of the art works. The total number of exhibitors represented at the Centennial Exhibition was 2,472 with 7,147 pieces of art and photography.

The Committee on Foreign Affairs was created at the Commission’s first session and charged with the duty of securing the participation of foreign governments in the Exhibition. On July 3, 1873, the President of the United States issued a proclamation announcing the Exhibition, which foreign governments did not construe to be an invitation. Subsequently, on June 5, 1874, an Act of Congress was passed requesting the President to extend, in the name of the United States, a respectful and cordial invitation to foreign governments to participate. This the President did, through the offices of the Department of State.

In accordance with the general regulations of the Commission, no communication was held directly between the Centennial Commission and the individual foreign exhibitors. Instead, all matters relating to the exhibits and space allotments were handled by the Director-General and the heads of the respective foreign Commissions.

The Bureau of Horticulture was established in early 1875. One of the major buildings of the Exhibition, Horticultural Hall, a large greenhouse and conservatory, was already planned to be one of the permanent memorials of the Centennial. The Bureau was responsible for the exhibits within this Hall as well as the landscaping of a 20-acre site around it. There are no records surviving from this bureau.

The Bureau of Installation was created by resolution of the Executive Committee of the United States Centennial Commission on January 14, 1875 and officially announced by the Director-General in March 1875. The special duties given to the Bureau were the classification and distribution to the other Bureaus of all applications for space in the American departments of the Exhibition, the general installation of foreign countries within the Main Building, the installation in detail of the American Department, Main Building, including allotment of space to American exhibitors, the superintendence of the Main Building during the period of the Exhibition, the general supervision of special structures.

The Bureau of Machinery was organized on March 1, 1875. It was originally charged with the responsibility of allotting space to exhibitors and maintenance of the Machinery Building. Subsequently, it took charge of additional buildings surrounding the Machinery Building, including those of many privately-erected structures, including the Shoe and Leather Building, the Nevada Quartz-Mill, the Glass Factory, the Printing Press Building, the Paint Building, the Ross Saw-Mill, the Chilean Building and others.

The functions of the Medical Department were to supply medical and surgical assistance within the Exhibition grounds; to advise with reference to sanitary questions; and to issue in authoritative form such information on the sanitary condition of Philadelphia and of the Exhibition as might be desirable. The important subjects of the drainage and water supply of the Exhibition grounds were placed entirely under the control of the Chief Engineer of the grounds.

The Medical Department was organized in the early part of 1876, by the appointment of a Medical Director, a staff composed of six medical officers, and a secretary, who was also the Resident Physician at the Hospital in the Exhibition grounds.

The duties of administration assigned to the Bureau of Transportation at the date of its organization on 1 April 1875 principally concerned the transportation of goods and visitors, both foreign and American, local transportation, warehousing, and customs regulations. In addition, it was responsible for transportation to the Exhibition grounds and within the grounds. The Bureau also arranged, along with the Centennial Lodging-House Agency, to have a number of new hotels erected and to canvass Philadelphia home-owners who would be willing to let visitors use spare rooms in private houses.

The Department of Water Supply was created to provide an adequate water supply to the Exhibition grounds which would not adversely impact the operations of the regular city service. A new waterworks, including an engine house, stand-pipe and supply mains, was commenced on June 18, 1875 and completed two days before the opening of the Exhibition.

The Women's Centennial Executive Committee was organized initially as an auxiliary committee to assist chiefly in the collection of funds, prior to the creation of the Centennial Board of Finance. The initial organization occurred on February 16,1873. The Executive Committee formally recognized the existence of this Committee on February 24, 1873 and full Commission followed with its formal recognition on 7 May 1873. The work of the Women's Committee was summarized by the Director-General as consisting of obtaining subscriptions to the stock of the Centennial Board of Finance, procuring signatures to memorials praying the Legislature of Pennsylvania and City Councils of Philadelphia to make the appropriations towards the erection of the Exhibition buildings, creating the Women's Pavilion, a special exhibition of women's work, apart from the other displays (The costs of this Pavilion were raised solely by this Committee.), funding the music at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Exhibition, publishing a weekly newspaper and several books devoted to patriotic themes, and erecting a school-house next to the Women's Pavilion, where a kindergarten was carried on throughout the Exhibition.

The Bureau of Revenue was organized in 1874 with John Wanamaker as president. According to their rules and regulations, as adopted on 25 Jun 1874,

The object of this Bureau shall be to raise revenue through a system of compensation to agents, and to this end, there shall be organized in each State and Territory, such auxiliaries to the Bureau of Revenue, as may be deemed expedient, to aid in the sale of Stock and Medals, and, to be composed of any number of earnest friends of the Centennial cause, who may be willing to give their services free of charge.

The Bureau had several committees to assist them in their work, principally a Committee on Medals.

The Committee on Grounds, Plans & Buildings was one of the permanent committees of the Board of Finance. The Chief Engineer of the Grounds reported to the Committee on a monthly basis. This committee was responsible for awarding contracts for various projects on the grounds. For similar records relating to the actual work done on the grounds, see Record Sub-Group 230-23, Department of the Engineer of the Centennial Grounds. For similar records relating to the initial plans and architectural competitions for the Exhibition, see Record Sub-Group 230-6, Committee on Plans and Architecture

From the guide to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 records, 1871-1881, (City of Philadelphia, Department of Records, City Archives)