150 years ago cities throughout the North held fairs to raise funds for the healing work of the United States Sanitary Commission. A fair opened in Brooklyn back on Washington’s birthday. 150 years ago today the Metropolitan Sanitary Fair began across the East River on Manhattan. Gotham wasn’t planning on being outdone. According to The New-York Times of April 4, 1864:
The similar fair at Chicago realized $[6?]0,000; at Boston, $140,000; at Cincinnati, 250,000. At New-York, it is hoped there will be realized 1,250,000.
If you browse over to Son of the South you can see many images of the big doings in many of the April 1864 issues of Harper’s Weekly. The newspaper also listed cash contributions to the cause by businesses involved in the “Book Trade.”