From December 1884 through May 1885, New Orleans hosted a now nearly forgotten international event: The World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition.Seeking to commemorate the first export of cotton from the United States in 1784, the National Cotton Planters Association selected New Orleans, the largest city in the South, as the site for the great international exposition. The citizens and business community of New Orleans, eager to promote the city's recovery from both the ravaging effects of the Civil War and the aftermath of Reconstruction, welcomed the chance to stage an event which would attract visitors and investors to the commercially revitalized city.Established in 1875, the Centennial Photographic Company of Philadelphia was granted exclusive rights to produce all photographic images of the New Orleans exposition. Included in this volume are more than 250 of those images, illustrating New Orleans and the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, all from the personal collection of Kenneth R. Speth.

Robert W. Rydell contends that America's early world's fairs actually served to legitimate racial exploitation at home and the creation of an empire abroad. He looks in particular to the "ethnological" displays of nonwhites—set up by showmen but endorsed by prominent anthropologists—which lent scientific credibility to popular racial attitudes and helped build public support for domestic and foreign policies. Rydell's lively and thought-provoking study draws on archival records, newspaper and magazine articles, guidebooks, popular novels, and oral histories.

When So-Called Dollars was published it was the first, and it is still the only book to deal comprehensively with its subject matter. The book begins with the legendary Erie Canal Completion issues of 1826 and proceeds to catalog 135 years of the Golden Age of American history, all the way up to 1961. Although there have been many propositions for reviving the book over the years, none were more than theoretical musings until two collectors, Tom Hoffman of Crystal Lake, IL and Jonathan Brecher of Cambridge, MA set the process in motion. They have been joined by two others, Dave Hayes and John Dean, to produce a remarkable new edition, of the sort that can only be the product of dedicated hobbyists who love their subject and see it as their obligation to share with others the knowledge gained from years of collecting. While the second edition holds true to the original in basic style and in substance, prices have skyrocketed and it offers much that is new. There are many more illustrations than in the first edition. In fact, virtually every type is now represented by a photograph. More historical information for the issues is presented in the text, which has been further expanded with additional listings of both previously unknown metal varieties and totally new items. The size of each item is now given in mm rather than in 16ths of an inch as in the 1963 edition. Each issue has been assigned a rarity rating of from R-1, indicating more than 5,000 known, to R-10, meaning unique. In addition, a loose-leaf price guide included in each book at no additional charge. The index has been expanded to include references to more subjects and places. Finally, there is a section of color plates. The Hibler & Kappen book remains the standard reference work on the subject with its HK numbers an instantly recognizable means of cataloging and identification.