Planning 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. 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
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. After
World War I, Philadelphia suffered because of losses in the war, the spread of
Spanish Influenza, and the hardships of
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. 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. His replacement, Captain Asher C. Baker, retired due to illness days before the festival opened, leaving things in the hands of E. L. Austin. Baker died less than two weeks later.
Opening 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,
Packer Park Residential Neighborhood, the three stadiums of Philadelphia's massive
South Philadelphia Sports Complex:
Xfinity Mobile Arena,
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. 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. ==Highlights==