The advent of a new century made many leaders of the South begin to talk of a New South, where industry and diversity would end the poverty and backwardness that had characterized too much of the region since the Civil War. One important aspect of this New South movement was a series of expositions, or industrial fairs, celebrating the progress of the South. Charleston corporations sponsored the South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exposition that attracted international attention in 1901, and left as its permanent legacy what is now Hampton Park. The Palace of Commerce, shown in this photograph, was typical of the elaborate buildings housing industrial exhibits.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress.
