Aubrun, Louis "Agricultural Hall Centennial International Exhibition. 1876. Fairmount Park Philadelphia"

Louis Aubrun.  “Agricultural Hall Centennial International Exhibition.  1876.  Fairmount Park Philadelphia.” 

Philadelphia: Thomas Hunter, 1876.  21 1/4 x 27.  Tinted lithograph.  Two repaired tears in margins.  Horizontal printers wrinkle in sky.  Small stain into image left hand side.  Some light scuffing in margins.  Else, good condition. 

A large lithographic view of one of the main buildings for the Centennial International Exhibition, held in Philadelphia in 1876, designed by Hermann Schwarzmann.  This print was issued by Thomas Hunter, who took over the firm of P.S. Duval & Son, and continued to issue excellent prints of Philadelphia.  The largest group of prints he issued was a series commissioned by the Centennial Board of Finance as part of the effort to publicize the forthcoming fair, and to raise money for this ambitious project.  The prints were based upon official plans for the buildings, and they were designed to be sold separately as souvenirs of what was to become America’s first great tourist attraction.  This print was designed to picture one of the impressive main buildings of the exhibition in all its architectural splendor, its huge size highlighted by the milling crowds strewn about.