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.