Steam engine designed by George Corliss for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, USA in 1876. In 1848 Corliss (1817-1888) invented a cut-off mechanism linked to the governor of a steam engine. This allowed the maximum expansion for any load and revolutionised steam engine design. Corliss made further improvements to his engine design and founded the Corliss Engine Company. This photograph is from an archive of images dating from the 1860s to the 1920s, collected for 'The Pageant of America: A Pictorial History of the United States' (1925-1929).