Machinery Hall, from the north end, Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition, 1876 (silver albumen print)

The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia. Officially named the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures and Products of the Soil and Mine, it was held in Fairmount Park along the Schuylkill River on fairgrounds designed by Herman J. Schwarzmann. Exhibit titles: Roach, John, & Son, New York, Exhibit #1006; American Watch Tool Co., Waltham, Mass., Exhibit #181; Nonotuck Silk Co., Florence, Mass., Exhibit #292; Corliss Steam Engine Company, Providence, R.I., Exhibit #n/a, Machinery Hall, Bldg.