REPORT ON THE DIVISION OF ]MECnANICAL TECHNOLOGY, 

 By Carl W. Mitman, Curator. 



Ilistoi-y. — The first clay of the fiscal year saw the division trans- 

 ferred from the department of anthropology to that of arts and 

 industries with the Avriter in charge as curator of the division. 

 Shortly thereafter, ^Nfr. E. G. Paine, aid, Avas transferred to the 

 division of American archeology and the care of the collections de- 

 volved npon the curator and Miss Barbara E. Bartlett, clerk. The 

 urgency of liaving a complete card index of the collections of the 

 division necessitated the temporary employment of a typewriter. 

 On February 13, 1920, ]\Ir. George AV. Spier, Washington City, be- 

 came associated with the division as honorary custodian of watches. 

 In this capacity, Mr. Spier has in his charge the Museum's collection 

 of Avatches numbering over 450 specimens and plans to arrange 

 popular and scientific exhibits of the art of time-keeping. Mr. E. 

 Luther Reed, a faithful and efficient emplo3'ee of the Museum and 

 Smithsonian Institution for over forty years, and carpenter for the 

 division for the past fiA'e A'cars, died on April 26, 1920. The loss of 

 his serA'ices Avas keenly felt by the division and the need of assistance 

 of this general nature resulted in the appointment on June 1, 1920, of 

 Mr. Paul E. Garber as preparator. 



Accessions. — During the year, 11 accessions Avere received com- 

 prising 97 specimens Avhich Avere distributed as follows : Transporta- 

 tion, 66 ; metrology, 7 ; firearms, 12 ; machiner}'^, 12. All of the acces- 

 sions constitute Aoluntary offerings to the Museum, for the year was 

 spent wholly in the reorganization and rearrangement of the collec- 

 tions on hand Avith no effort made tOAvard procuring new material. 

 In comparison therefore Avith the accessions receiA'ed the previous 

 year, namelj^ 16, totalling 192 specimens, the shoAving is rather poor, 

 l)ut over and against this it is believed that the collections are in a 

 iwv better condition than CAer before. 



Ijy far the most important accession Avas a standard twelve cylinder 



Liberty airi)lane motor made ex})ressly for and presented to the 



]Niuseum by the Lincoln Motor Company, Detroit, Michigan. Va- 



lious jiortions of the motor are cut away disclosing the interior parts 



in operative relation Avhich makes a most instructive exhibit. ])artif'ii- 



larlv so when stndietl in coniunction with the motor of the Lanaley 



aerodrome sitiuited along side. 



YM 



