Lovely bird’s eye view looking east toward the city from Belmont Mansion, the former estate of Judge Richard Peters. In the foreground, visitors to the property partake of the grounds that are landscaped with  trees and small gardens. Elegantly-attired men, women, and children stroll; appreciate the vista from benches and chairs; and enjoy refreshments at tables. Other patrons depart in horse-drawn carriages down a path that winds past the Belmont Water Works and Columbia Railroad Bridge. A train approaches the bridge. In the right background, the proposed Centennial Exhibition  buildings, and grounds congested with visitors, are visible in West Fairmount Park. The Main Hall and Memorial Hall predominate. In the left background, the expansive cityscape dominates the view and includes Girard College, the Fairmount Water Works, Gas Works, Rodeph Shalom Synagogue, the Cathedral of S.S. Peter and Paul, Masonic Temple, and the future City Hall. Church steeples, industrial smokestacks, blocks of brick buildings, and the distant Delaware River comprise the vista as well. Also visible are the several bridges that span the Schuylkill River. The bridges include the Columbia, New York Connecting Railway, Girard Avenue, Spring Garden Street, Market Street, and Chestnut Street bridges. Several vessels travel the river. The Centennial Exhibition celebrated the centennial of the United States through an international exhibition of industry, agriculture, and art. Many of the buildings were designed by Herman Schwartzmann, Henry Pettit, and Joseph M. Wilson.
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