Tennessee Centennial Exposition ephemera subject files, 1896-ca. 1972 (bulk 1897)
(Document/manuscript/pamphlet/archival material)

Materials housed in Special Collections Division of the Main Library, Nashville Public Library.

In library use only. Available by appointment.

Numerous items are extremely brittle or fragile. They must be handled with great care. Ask permission before photocopying or inquire about special handling instructions.

Scope and content: A wide variety of material relating to the Tennessee Centennial Exposition, held in 1897 in Nashville, Tenn. to mark the ocassion of the 100th anniversary of statehood. Materials include guidebooks to both the city and the exhibition, essays, invitations, tickets, programs, souvenir brochures and guides, and a few artifacts. Guidebooks provide schedules of events and special days at the fair; summaries of displays, exhibits, buildings, and special events; advertisements; and a variety of other related subjects; and are often illustrated with drawings or photographs. Items relating to the opening of the exhibition, a map of the grounds, an essay about African Americans at the Centennial (ca. 1972?), and a small notebook with lists and notes, probably from the late twentieth century, are also included.

Four season passes, which include photographs and signatures of the ticket holder, are also part of the collection: J. A. Childress; H. Laskey (?); Mr. and Mrs. J.N. Sperry.

Cite as: [item description], Tennessee Centennial Exposition Ephemera Subject Files, Special Collections Division, Nashville Public Library

Some items may be restricted by copyright law or donor restriction.

Intentionally assembled by staff of the Special Collections Division, beginning at an unknown date, probably in the late 1960s, and collected on an ongoing basis.

Associated materials: The Tennessee State Library and Archives holds the Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition Collection, which contains official records relating to and created by the Exposition.

The Tennessee Centennial Exposition ran from May through October of 1897, on a large plot of land about a mile west of downtown Nashville, later known as Centennial Park. Financial delays and intersectional bickering prevented the exhibition from occurring until one year after the actual centennial in 1896. One of many industrial fairs at the turn of the century, the exhibition showcased technology, art, and the notion of "progress," particularly as these themes supported a vision of a prospering, modern "New South."

Over a dozen buildings and exhibit halls were constructed for the event. One, the Parthenon, would become an enduring symbol of Nashville. Although intially a temporary structure, not expected to last beyond the exhibition, it was reconstructed in the 1920s and remains a major tourist attraction and art museum into the twenty-first century.

In English

Process;,2005, 2015;,Linda Barnickel.

Additional accruals are expected.