Ammunition displayed at 1876 Exhibition

[butlersrangers]

The U.S. Centennial International Exhibition was held at Philadelphia from May 10 to November 10, 1876.

The U.S. War Department had a display of Artillery, Small Arms, and Ammunition that was part of the exhibits at the United States Government Building.

The Smithsonian Institution supervised the selection and installation of the U.S. exhibits. At the close of the exhibition, some of the displayed foreign & domestic items were shipped to Washington D.C. and became the core of the Smithsonian's National Museum.

1st Lieutenant Henry Metcalfe organized the WD Small Arms & ammunition items. The rare display cartridges went back to Frankford Arsenal for preservation and historical reference.

The ammunition display was 'rescued' from carts, having been slated for disposal during early WW2, by the efforts of an Ordnance Officer, Col. George A. Miller, Jr., who recognized its historical significance
In 1958, Col. Berkeley R. Lewis facilitated the 1876 cartridge display going to the Smithsonian Museum.

Berkeley R. Lewis also reconstructed, documented and cataloged the display. He wrote a reference booklet for the Smithsonian, published in 1972, after his death.

I particularly like the sketch showing a Copper Units of Pressure (CUP) device, pioneered by General Rodman to measure chamber pressures, on a Trapdoor Springfield.

The link below should allow you to view the entire Berkeley R. Lewis booklet:

https://repository.si.edu/bitstream/han ... Lo_res.pdf?

[butlersrangers]

The 1876 ammunition display appeared again at the 1893 Columbian Exposition at Chicago.

Some outdoor sights at the 1876 Centennial Exposition: