A century and a half ago, nearly ten million people descended on Philadelphia to witness a spectacle unlike anything before seen in the United States. The Centennial Exposition left a temporary mark on the city’s Fairmount Park but made a permanent impact on American culture. A generation was inspired by what they saw there: from industrial innovations to kinds of food nobody had ever seen, exhibits showcased the latest discoveries and inventions within gleaming, spectacular spaces, most constructed to be temporary.
What were the lasting effects of the Exposition? How did it influence architecture, cultural awareness, and other aspects of everyday life? Join us for an engaging series of presentations on the Exposition that changed America’s perception of itself.
Call For Speakers
The Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians is pleased to announce “Centennial 150,” a symposium celebrating the anniversary of Philadelphia’s World’s Fair. The daylong in-person event will take place on Saturday, November 21, 2026 in a historic space in Center City, Philadelphia, easily accessible via transit and convenient to many of the city’s institutions and landmark sites. Details will be announced shortly.
We are looking for scholars and researchers to present original research and unique perspectives on the Centennial Exposition. Our goal is to showcase a diverse variety of topics for each 30-minute narrated slideshow presentation. Presenters will receive free admission to the symposium.
Subjects for presenters could include (but are not limited to):
- Architecture
- Innovation
- Social and cultural impacts
- Physical legacy
- Historic preservation
- Impacts on Philadelphia, both temporary and lasting
If you are interested in presenting at the symposium, please submit an abstract (less than 300 words) and short biography by Sunday, October 18, to: info@philachaptersah.org.
Selected presenters will be notified by Sunday, October 25.
Please send any questions to info@philachaptersah.org.
The symposium is co-sponsored by the University City Historical Society.