In 1871, Congress approved the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, an "international exhibition of arts, manufactures, and products of the soil and mine" to celebrate 100 years of American independence. Spencer F. Baird, then Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian, was appointed as the Smithsonian's representative on a Board of Executive Departments to prepare a collective exhibition for the event that would demonstrate the nature, breadth and ability of the government's institutions to adapt the wants of its citizens. Baird was directly in charge of the Smithsonian and the U.S. Fish Commission exhibits. Please join us in transcribing Baird's correspondence relating to the Centennial Exhibition to facilitate greater online access to this collection.
In 1871, Congress approved the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, an "international exhibition of arts, manufactures, and products of the soil and mine" to celebrate 100 years of American independence. Spencer F. Baird, then Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian, was appointed as the Smithsonian's representative on a Board of Executive Departments to prepare a collective exhibition for the event that would demonstrate the nature, breadth and ability of the government's institutions to adapt the wants of its citizens. Baird was directly in charge of the Smithsonian and the U.S. Fish Commission exhibits. Please join us in transcribing Baird's correspondence relating to the Centennial Exhibition to facilitate greater online access to this collection.