The Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition Association was the organization which planned and administered the major international exposition held in Philadelphia from May 30 through November 30, 1926, in honor of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Thirty foreign nations participated in the event which attracted seven million visitors. Participation lagged behind expectations, however, and financial problems dogged the project from beginning to end. The Association passed into receivership in 1927 and several years passed before the claims of the organization's many creditors were resolved in U.S. district court. The official records of the Sesqui-Centennial Exhibition Association at the Philadelphia City Archives represent the largest extant body of material concerning this event. They consist of approximately 40 cubic feet of holdings dating from 1920 through 1931. The records are primarily made up of the files of the administrative staff who organized and conducted the Sesqui-Centennial from 1925 to 1926. Also included are minutes and correspondence of the Sesqui-Centennial Association board who initiated the project in the early 1920s and the numerous voluntary boards staffed by Philadelphians noted in their fields to plan appropriate events and activities in such fields as athletics, business and industry, fine arts, medicine, music, transportation, and black history.
