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Sesqui!: Greed, Graft, and the Forgotten World's Fair of 1926
In 1916, Philadelphia department-store magnate John Wanamaker launched plans for a Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition in 1926. It would be a magnificent world's fair to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The “Sesqui” would also transform sooty, industrial Philadelphia into a beautiful Beaux Arts city. However, when the Sesqui opened on May 31, 1926, in the remote, muddy swamps of South Philadelphia, the fair was unfinished, with a few shabbily built and mostly empty structures. Crowds stayed away in fewer than five million paying customers attended, costing the city millions of dollars. Philadelphia became a national scandal—a city so corrupt that one political boss could kidnap an entire world’s fair. In his fascinating history Sesqui!, noted historian Thomas Keels situates this ill-fated celebration—a personal boondoggle by the all-powerful Congressman William S. Vare—against the transformations taking place in America during the 1920s. Keels provides a comprehensive account of the Sesqui as a meeting ground for cultural changes sweeping the women’s and African-American rights, anti-Semitism, eugenics, Prohibition, and technological advances.
- GenresHistory
376 pages, Hardcover
Published March 20, 2017
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46 people want to read
About the author
Thomas H. Keels
6 books3 followersTom Keels is the author of five published books on Philadelphia, with one work in progress:
-- Wicked Philadelphia: Sin in the City of Brotherly Love. The History Press, 2010.
-- Forgotten Philadelphia: Lost Architecture of the Quaker City. Temple University Press, 2007.
-- Philadelphia Graveyards and Cemeteries. Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
-- Philadelphias Rittenhouse Square (with Robert Morris Skaler). Arcadia Publishing, 2008.
-- Chestnut Hill (with Elizabeth Farmer Jarvis). Arcadia Publishing, 2002.
-- Rainbow Cities: Philadelphia's Three World's Fairs. Under contract to Temple University Press, 2012.
In addition, he is a lecturer, tour guide, writer, and radio commentator specializing in Philadelphia history and architecture.
"
-- Wicked Philadelphia: Sin in the City of Brotherly Love. The History Press, 2010.
-- Forgotten Philadelphia: Lost Architecture of the Quaker City. Temple University Press, 2007.
-- Philadelphia Graveyards and Cemeteries. Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
-- Philadelphias Rittenhouse Square (with Robert Morris Skaler). Arcadia Publishing, 2008.
-- Chestnut Hill (with Elizabeth Farmer Jarvis). Arcadia Publishing, 2002.
-- Rainbow Cities: Philadelphia's Three World's Fairs. Under contract to Temple University Press, 2012.
In addition, he is a lecturer, tour guide, writer, and radio commentator specializing in Philadelphia history and architecture.
"
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 1, 2025
A great, all-encompassing history of the Sesquicentennial Fair and the complicated political scene of early 20th century Philadelphia. Never have I read a book that so handily kept my attention and educated me with every new chapter.
February 16, 2018
Although I am not a native of Philadelphia, I have now lived in the area for almost half of my life. In all that time, I knew of Philadelphia's reputation for corruption, but I guess it never occurred to me that that reputation was so deeply ingrained and so… well … historical. And it has been hard to find any sources that succinctly uncover that dark past. Enter Sesqui!, a book whose very title gives readers a clear understanding of what they will find between its covers.
For those who don't know, Philadelphia played host to an extraordinarily successful world's fair in 1876 in conjunction with the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And so, as one might expect, in the early 1920s the leaders of the city thought that they should try their hand at it again for the sesquicentennial celebration of that same event. The initial plans were devised by a committee of leading citizens and seemed ideal to the occasion: the celebration would center on the newly constructed parkway that led from City Hall to where the Philadelphia Museum was to be constructed at the edge of Fairmount Park. Along the way, other buildings would be constructed (e.g., the Free Library) that would be used for the fair and then converted to their more permanent purpose. The plans even called for the construction of a new stadium just beyond the museum in Fairmount Park. Sounds like a good plan…
…until the corrupt Republican Organization (yes, that was actually its name), led by Congressman William S. Vare, got its hands on the planning. Suddenly, the fair's location was moved from a location near the center of the city — and one where a great number of wonderful improvements were already underway — to a swampland at the extreme southern end of Broad Street which happened to also be… wait for it… in the congressional district of one William S. Vare. Even worse, most of Philadelphia's streets did not extend down as far as Pattison Avenue, nor did the water or sewer lines. The costs of landfill alone were staggering.
Wait… it gets better. Most of the construction companies that were hired to do the work belonged William S. Vare or one of his cronies. And the concessionaires were all coordinated by another member of the Organization (with the expectation of kickbacks along the way). Add to that the reluctance of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (whose governor despised Vare) and the federal government to assist with the funding.
In the end, most of the construction projects were completed way past schedule and cost much more than anticipated. Add to that the rainiest Philadelphia summer on record. I could go on and on.
The bottom line is that the fair drew only a small percentage of the expected visitors and essentially went bankrupt before the fair even ended. The only lasting relics were the stadium (which most of us knew as JFK Stadium before it was demolished in 1985) and the Curtis Organ (which was moved to a newly constructed Irvine Auditorium on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in 1928 and which is still in use today).
Oh… there was one other relic… the debt taken on by the city of Philadelphia to assist in the infrastructure improvements to accommodate the sesquicentennial was so crippling that the city had trouble digging its way out, especially after the onset of the Great Depression three years later.
As for the book itself… Mr. Keels is a wonderful storyteller. His narrative is extremely clear and compelling and I always hated when I had to put the book down. He weaves stories of Shriners with stories of Marie of Romania with stories of Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney with stories about why Pennsylvania only had one U.S. senator for several years. In fact, this book would have been perfect had Mr. Keels stopped at page 333, which is where he left his story to add commentary on the bicentennial celebration and the proposed upcoming semiquincentennial, with a side trip to why Michael Nutter was a great mayor. It all may have been true, but without the proper historical distance, it appears to be more political commentary than academic historical analysis. That last diversion weakened the ending of the tale and was really my sole reason for dropping my rating from five stars to four.
Even so, I strongly recommend that you pick up a copy of Sesqui! and jump into the adventure. It was a worthwhile ride.
For those who don't know, Philadelphia played host to an extraordinarily successful world's fair in 1876 in conjunction with the centennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And so, as one might expect, in the early 1920s the leaders of the city thought that they should try their hand at it again for the sesquicentennial celebration of that same event. The initial plans were devised by a committee of leading citizens and seemed ideal to the occasion: the celebration would center on the newly constructed parkway that led from City Hall to where the Philadelphia Museum was to be constructed at the edge of Fairmount Park. Along the way, other buildings would be constructed (e.g., the Free Library) that would be used for the fair and then converted to their more permanent purpose. The plans even called for the construction of a new stadium just beyond the museum in Fairmount Park. Sounds like a good plan…
…until the corrupt Republican Organization (yes, that was actually its name), led by Congressman William S. Vare, got its hands on the planning. Suddenly, the fair's location was moved from a location near the center of the city — and one where a great number of wonderful improvements were already underway — to a swampland at the extreme southern end of Broad Street which happened to also be… wait for it… in the congressional district of one William S. Vare. Even worse, most of Philadelphia's streets did not extend down as far as Pattison Avenue, nor did the water or sewer lines. The costs of landfill alone were staggering.
Wait… it gets better. Most of the construction companies that were hired to do the work belonged William S. Vare or one of his cronies. And the concessionaires were all coordinated by another member of the Organization (with the expectation of kickbacks along the way). Add to that the reluctance of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (whose governor despised Vare) and the federal government to assist with the funding.
In the end, most of the construction projects were completed way past schedule and cost much more than anticipated. Add to that the rainiest Philadelphia summer on record. I could go on and on.
The bottom line is that the fair drew only a small percentage of the expected visitors and essentially went bankrupt before the fair even ended. The only lasting relics were the stadium (which most of us knew as JFK Stadium before it was demolished in 1985) and the Curtis Organ (which was moved to a newly constructed Irvine Auditorium on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in 1928 and which is still in use today).
Oh… there was one other relic… the debt taken on by the city of Philadelphia to assist in the infrastructure improvements to accommodate the sesquicentennial was so crippling that the city had trouble digging its way out, especially after the onset of the Great Depression three years later.
As for the book itself… Mr. Keels is a wonderful storyteller. His narrative is extremely clear and compelling and I always hated when I had to put the book down. He weaves stories of Shriners with stories of Marie of Romania with stories of Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney with stories about why Pennsylvania only had one U.S. senator for several years. In fact, this book would have been perfect had Mr. Keels stopped at page 333, which is where he left his story to add commentary on the bicentennial celebration and the proposed upcoming semiquincentennial, with a side trip to why Michael Nutter was a great mayor. It all may have been true, but without the proper historical distance, it appears to be more political commentary than academic historical analysis. That last diversion weakened the ending of the tale and was really my sole reason for dropping my rating from five stars to four.
Even so, I strongly recommend that you pick up a copy of Sesqui! and jump into the adventure. It was a worthwhile ride.
April 14, 2022
I really enjoyed this exhaustive history of Philadelphia's 1926 Sesquicentennial Celebration. Each page is peppered with references to the city's history and the namesakes for streets, buildings, and landmarks around the city. Keels' deep dives into the local politics and dynamics of the city during the Roaring Twenties kept me interested throughout the book.
One thing I wish Keels had discussed further was the opportunity costs of the Sesqui. He briefly alludes to the delayed and cancelled infrastructure projects throughout the book, but he fails to mention these when he puts on his rose-colored glasses to discuss the long-term impacts of the Sesqui on the final page of the "For Sale" chapter. As many cities in the northeast were building subway lines, one wonders how much more of a world-class city Philadelphia would be if the expenditures for the Sesqui had gone to permanent infrastructure rather than buildings that would be sold for pennies on the dollar and razed just months after the gates closed.
In particular, this passage from "For Sale" particularly irked me: "It had taken a barren expanse of swamps and marshes and transformed it into a fully functioning neighborhood, ready to be inhabited by the next wave of Philadelphia's ever-increasing population." As we continue to deal with climate change (sea level rise) and biodiversity loss as wild animals are boxed into ever-decreasing and fragmented areas to live, the jury is still out on whether draining vast acreage of resilient marsh and swamps will actual benefit the city longterm. I say this especially considering the fact that much of the land below Packer Avenue is (stadiums and industrial areas surrounded by) parking lots and suburban-style development, so I'm not sure I agree with his take-away here.
Overall, this was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Philadelphia and its seemingly endemic tendency towards corruption and mismanagement.
One thing I wish Keels had discussed further was the opportunity costs of the Sesqui. He briefly alludes to the delayed and cancelled infrastructure projects throughout the book, but he fails to mention these when he puts on his rose-colored glasses to discuss the long-term impacts of the Sesqui on the final page of the "For Sale" chapter. As many cities in the northeast were building subway lines, one wonders how much more of a world-class city Philadelphia would be if the expenditures for the Sesqui had gone to permanent infrastructure rather than buildings that would be sold for pennies on the dollar and razed just months after the gates closed.
In particular, this passage from "For Sale" particularly irked me: "It had taken a barren expanse of swamps and marshes and transformed it into a fully functioning neighborhood, ready to be inhabited by the next wave of Philadelphia's ever-increasing population." As we continue to deal with climate change (sea level rise) and biodiversity loss as wild animals are boxed into ever-decreasing and fragmented areas to live, the jury is still out on whether draining vast acreage of resilient marsh and swamps will actual benefit the city longterm. I say this especially considering the fact that much of the land below Packer Avenue is (stadiums and industrial areas surrounded by) parking lots and suburban-style development, so I'm not sure I agree with his take-away here.
Overall, this was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Philadelphia and its seemingly endemic tendency towards corruption and mismanagement.
July 31, 2017
This is a fascinating account of the 1926 Philadelphia Fair to celebrate the 150th birthday of our nation. Author Tom Keels weaves a wonderful tale of greed, graft, hope and dreams. Reading this book gave me insights into the Philadelphia of today and where we have come from. Throughly researched and highly entertaining!
August 15, 2017
Fascinating read...and as a self-proclaimed Phila-phile, also somewhat heartbreaking & enlightening...will definitely be seeking out other works from this terrific author!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews