The 1876 Project

The 1876 Project takes its starting point from a consequential moment in American history. The year 1876 marked a decade since the end of the Civil War and the centennial of the United States. It was also the year Philadelphia hosted the Centennial International Exhibition, the first official World’s Fair held in the United States, designed in part to present a story of American innovation, progress and prosperity to the world. As the United States marks its 250th anniversary in 2026, The 1876 Project looks back 150 years to a country grappling with division while publicly projecting an image of unity and progress. Irondale will use 1876 as a lens through which to examine the stories America tells about itself, the realities those stories can obscure and the echoes between that moment and our own.