EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM^ 1915. Ill 



briefly described as follows : A Eoyal Gobelins tapestry, sheep shear- 

 ing scene, woven by Audran; a Eoyal Aubiisson tapestry, woven 

 about 1780, picturing Aeneas meeting Dido at the shores of Carthage, 

 and surmounted with a beautiful red drapery effect border with gar- 

 lands of flowers; a Royal Beauvais tapestry, a mythological sub- 

 ject with magnificent border of fruits and flowers, woven by Beheagle 

 about 1700; a Flemish Verdure tapestry of the very finest quality 

 with splendid border of fruits and flowers, woven by Werniers 

 about 1700; and two 17th century Flemish tapestries, woven in 

 Brussels about 1610, one after Rubens' cartoons and depicting the 

 story of Sophonisba, the other after cartoons by one of Rubens' 

 pupils, picturing Alexander the Great meeting his mother. 



About the middle of the year the east-north range in the older 

 building, in which the art textiles are exhibited, was entirely reno- 

 vated, which included the filling in of several arched recesses in 

 order to secure a flush wall surface throughout, the removal of much 

 heavy woodwork about the Avindows, general repairs and pointing 

 up, and the repainting of the walls and ceilings in tints better suited 

 to the character of the exhibits. Several cases were subsequently 

 added, and in February the ladies' committee began a new arrange- 

 ment and installation of the collection which was continued well 

 into the spring, though not wholly completed. Much time was spent 

 in securing more appropriate and effective backgrounds for the 

 laces in the upright cases, and other various changes were made, 

 which resulted in greatly improving the appearance of the hall in 

 general and of the contents of the cases. 



The death in August, 1914, of Llrs. James W. Pinchot, to whom 

 the Museum is mainly indebted for the establishment, of this collec- 

 tion and who has been its principal benefactor, made necessary 

 the reorganization of the committee of ladies to which its welfare 

 is confided. This was effected during the year, Mrs. IT. Kirk Porter 

 being chosen chairman of the committee, whose other members are 

 Mrs. R. G. Lay, Miss Tuckerman, Mrs. James Harlan, ISIrs. Paul 

 Bartlett, Mrs. A. E. Bates, Mrs. Frederick Keep and Miss Adams. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 

 VISITORS. 



The number of visitors to the new building aggregated 321,712, 

 of which 262,135 represented the week day attendance and 59,577 

 the Sunday attendance, being a daily average of 837 for the former, 

 and of 1,145 for the latter. The older Museum building, which is 

 open only on week days, had a total of 133,202 visitors, or a daily 

 average of 425. Owing to the extensive alterations in progress, 

 which necessitated the dismantling of most of the collections and 



