Editing Sesquicentennial Exposition

{{Short description|1926 exposition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
[[Image:Sesqui-Centennial Invitation.jpg|thumb|An engraved invitation to the opening ceremonies of the 1926 Sesqui-Centennial Exposition held in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], May 31, 1926]]
[[File:1926 Sesquicentennial Exposition logo.jpg|thumb|Sesquicentennial International Exposition logo]]
The '''Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition''' of 1926 was a [[world's fair]] in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. Its purpose was to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the [[United States Declaration of Independence]], and the 50th anniversary of the 1876 [[Centennial Exposition]].

{{Infobox recurring event
| frequency          = Semicentennially
| location           = [[United States of America]]
| prev               = [[Centennial Exposition|Centennial]] (1876)
| next               = [[United States Bicentennial|Bicentennial]] (1976)
| activity           = 150th anniversary of the adoption of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]
}}

==History==
===Planning===
[[Image:Sesqui-Centennial Grounds.jpg|thumb|The 1926 Sesqui-Centennial Exposition grounds]]
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.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|url=https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/sesquicentennial-international-exposition/#3934|title=Sesquicentennial International Exposition (1926)|last=Wilson|first=Martin|website=Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia|access-date=October 6, 2018}}</ref>  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 [[Benjamin Franklin Parkway|Fairmount Parkway]], which was under construction, would be the official site of the exposition.  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.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|title=Sesqui! Greed, Graft, and the Forgotten World's Fair of 1926|last=Keels|first=Thomas|publisher=Temple University Press|year=2017|isbn=9781439903292|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|pages=1–352}}</ref>

After [[World War I]], Philadelphia suffered because of losses in the war, the spread of [[Spanish flu|Spanish Influenza]], and the hardships of [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]].  These circumstances combined made the city's atmosphere bleak, even with the election of the new mayor [[J. Hampton Moore]].  Through these hardships, Wanamaker's hope and vision for a celebration of Philadelphia continued.<ref name=":03">{{Cite book|title=Sesqui! Greed, Graft, and the Forgotten World's Fair of 1926|last=Keels|first=Thomas|publisher=Temple University Press|year=2017|isbn=9781439903292|location=Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|pages=1–352}}</ref>  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.<ref name=":03" />

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, [[David Charles Collier|Colonel David C. Collier]], resigned in protest over these budget cuts.<ref>{{cite news |title=Collier Quits Directorship of Exposition|work=Los Angeles Times|date= 1925-10-30|page=2}}</ref>  His replacement, Captain Asher C. Baker, retired due to illness days before the festival opened, leaving things in the hands of E. L. Austin.<ref>{{cite news |title=Exposition Head Retires|work=New York Times|date= 1926-05-26|page=27}}</ref>  Baker died less than two weeks later.<ref>{{cite news |title=Capt. Baker dead; head of Exposition|work=New York Times|date= 1926-06-06|page=28}}</ref>

===Opening===
[[File:Sesquicentennial Exposition Gold Medal of Award 1926.jpg|thumb|The Gold Medal of Award sculpted by [[Albert Laessle]]]]
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]], these grounds are now occupied by [[FDR Park]], [[Marconi Plaza, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Marconi Plaza]], [[Packer Park, Philadelphia|Packer Park Residential Neighborhood]], the three stadiums of Philadelphia's massive [[South Philadelphia Sports Complex]]: [[Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia)|Wells Fargo Center]], [[Lincoln Financial Field]], and [[Citizens Bank Park]], and the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] training complex which now occupy that portion of the grounds which from 1933 to 1993 were the site of Philadelphia Naval Hospital that was 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.<ref>[http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/ar_display.cfm/21829 Kahn, Louis Isadore (1901-1974) - Philadelphia Architects and Buildings<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>  Sculptor [[Charles Tefft]] was chosen as the director of sculpture for the fair while noted Philadelphia sculptor and artist [[Albert Laessle]] created the fair's Medals of Award.<ref>Proske, Beatrice Gilman, Brookgreen Gardens Sculpture, Brookgreen Gardens, SC, 1968 p. 150</ref>

==Highlights==
[[File:1926 Sesqui-Centennial Exposition "Luminous Liberty Bell", Philadelphia, PA.jpg|thumb|The {{convert|80|ft|adj=on}} tall illuminated [[Liberty Bell]] spanning [[Broad Street (Philadelphia)|Broad Street]]]]
Organizers constructed an {{convert|80|ft|adj=on}} replica of the Exposition's symbol, the [[Liberty Bell]], covered in 26,000 [[light bulb]]s, at the gateway to the festival. Sesqui-Centennial Stadium (later known as Philadelphia Municipal Stadium and, after 1964, [[John F. Kennedy Stadium (Philadelphia)|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]], which drew a crowd of 125,000 people standing in the rain to witness the occasion.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/sesquicentennial-international-exposition/#3934|title=Sesquicentennial International Exposition (1926)|last=Wilson|first=Martin|website=Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia|access-date=October 6, 2018}}</ref> Also on display at the exposition was the [[Curtis Organ]], still one of the largest [[pipe organ]]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]], was built in anticipation of the attending crowds.

Key speakers at the opening ceremonies were [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Frank B. Kellogg]], [[Secretary of Commerce]] and future [[United States President|President]] [[Herbert Hoover]], and Philadelphia Mayor [[W. Freeland Kendrick]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Sesquicentennial opens as sun shines; 100,000 pass gates|work=New York Times|date= 1926-06-01|page=1}}</ref>
At the center of the exposition along the main thoroughfare on a segment of south Broad Street known as the [[Southern Boulevard Parkway (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)|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.<ref name=":04">{{Cite web|url=https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/archive/sesquicentennial-international-exposition/#3934|title=Sesquicentennial International Exposition (1926)|last=Wilson|first=Martin|website=Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia|access-date=October 6, 2018}}</ref>

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 [[Sesquicentennial Cyclone|The Cyclone]], a prototype of [[Harry Traver]]'s [[Giant Cyclone Safety Coasters]] and an installation of his [[Jazz Railway]] model of coaster.<ref name="Legends of Terror">{{cite book |last=Munch |first=Richard |date=1982 |title=Harry G. Traver: Legends of Terror |location=Mentor, OH |publisher=Amusement Park Books, Inc. |isbn=0935408029 }}</ref>

Naval Air Facility [[Mustin Field]] was dedicated at the [[Philadelphia Navy Yard]] on September 17, 1926, in honor of Captain [[Henry C. Mustin (1874–1923)|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 (ACR-12)|USS ''North Carolina'']] in a [[Curtiss Model AB-2]]. "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]], 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."<ref>Morton, John Fass, "Mustin: A Naval Family of the 20th Century", Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Maryland, 2003, Library of Congress card number 2003005264, {{ISBN|1-59114-492-2}}, page 143.</ref>

Among the foreign nations that attended the Sesquicentennial was China, represented by [[H. H. Kung]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=1927-01-24 |title=Education: Great-Grandson 72 |language=en-US |work=Time |url=https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,786707,00.html |access-date=2023-01-14 |issn=0040-781X}}</ref>

==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.<ref name=":1" />  The fair drew a much smaller crowd than anticipated (about 10 million people).  ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' dubbed it "America's Greatest Flop" with a loss of $20 million by August 1926.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety84-1926-08#page/n207/mode/1up|title=America's Greatest Flop|date=August 25, 1926|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=May 28, 2017|page=1}}</ref>  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.<ref>[http://www.phila.gov/PHILS/Docs/Inventor/graphics/agencies/A232-5.htm City of Philadelphia Information Locator Service entry]</ref>

[[Benito Mussolini]] 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.<ref name=":1" />  Installed in [[Fairmount Park]], it was neglected for many years before being restored in 2013.<ref>[http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/05/31/italian-fountain-restored-getting-ready-to-splash-again-this-summer Italian Fountain restored, getting ready to splash again this summer]</ref>  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]] 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.[[Image:Sesquicentenial map.jpg|thumb|Diagram of the grounds of the 1926 Sesqui-Centennial Exposition]]
==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]], the 250th anniversary of the United States (2026)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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

==External links==
{{wiktionary|sesquicentennial}}
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20021206051453/http://www.libertybellmuseum.com/WorldsFair/1926sesqui.htm 1926 Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition]
* [http://www.phillyhistory.org/PhotoArchive/Search.aspx?type=area&withoutLoc=true&collections=DOR%20Archives%20-%20Sesquicentennial&updateDays=0&sortOrderM=Distance&minx=2636433.75&miny=169567.5&maxx=2750433.75&maxy=302567.5&start=0&limit=12&mstart=0&mlimit=12 Collection of Photographs from Sesquicentennial Exposition], ''Philly''History.org.
* [http://www.hamiltonphilatelic.org/presentations/sesquicentennial.pdf Collection of artwork Postcards, Brochures, Photographs, related items from Sesquicentennial Exposition]
* [http://www.studylove.org/worldsfairs16.html#1926 1926 Philadelphia (Non-BIE)] - approximately 85 links
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXaW2o5sEc8 The Sesquicentennial of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence] - YouTube, documentary, 24m06s
* [http://www.philaathenaeum.org/podcasts/2017-10-25_Keels.mp3 Sesqui! Greed, Graft, and the Forgotten World's Fair of 1926] - MP3, audio, 48m01s, at Philadelphia Athenæum
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7_s7whUJ6s Jack Dempsey Loses Crown to Gene Tunney This Day September 23, 1926] - Boxing Hall of Fame, YouTube, documentary, 10m47s
* [http://archive.org/details/womenscommitteet00free/page/n5 The Women's Committee and Their High Street Exhibit] - master's thesis, 230pp, at Internet Archive
* [http://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-b035-i457 Letter from Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition to W.E.B. DuBois, July 1, 1926] - at UMass Amherst
* [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/267359 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
* [http://archive.org/details/78_the-sesqui-centennial-exposition-march_sousas-band-john-philip-sousa_gbia0129963b Sesqui-Centennial Exposition March] by John Philip Sousa, performed by Sousa's Band, audio, 3m14s, at Internet Archive
* [http://archive.org/details/78_philadelphia-all-the-time_arthur-pryors-band-dieck-murphy-shisler_gbia0129963a 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
* [http://archive.org/details/sesquicentennial00aust The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition: 150 Years of American Independence] - book, 520pp, at Internet Archive
*{{HABS |survey=PA-1656 |id=pa0693 |title=Fountain of the Sea Horses, Aquarium Lane, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA |photos=2 |cap=1 |supp=yes}}

{{List of world's fairs in The United States of America|state=collapsed}}
{{List of world exhibitions}}
{{United States Declaration of Independence}}
{{American Revolutionary War}}
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[[Category:Sesquicentennial Exposition| ]]
[[Category:1926 in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Broad Street (Philadelphia)]]
[[Category:South Philadelphia]]
[[Category:United States Declaration of Independence anniversaries]]
[[Category:World's fairs in Philadelphia]]