The event was one of three famous 19th century world's fairs. It was sandwiched between the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London and the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Historians claim the Philadelphia fair transformed the global image of the United States. Before 1876, Europe had generally viewed the United States as an upstart country.
Thousands of exhibits and products on display in Philadelphia celebrated the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Centennial Exposition, held from May 10 to Nov. 10, featured more than 30,000 exhibitors spread out in 190 buildings on a 256-acre site in Fairmount Park. Almost 10 million visitors (the U.S. population at the time was only 46 million) from around the world attended the event.