U.S. Centennial Souvenir Turtle in Hand Paperweight

During the 1850s, paperweights were first brought to America as souvenirs by visitors to Paris and London. In 1853, French paperweight-maker Clichy displayed them to a wider American audience at the World's Fair in New York, and American glass companies took notice. One such company, Gillinder & Sons, set up a working glass factory at the 1876 World's Fair in Philadelphia. There, they produced numerous glass souvenirs for fairgoers, including souvenir paperweights.