52 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1919. 



iistration the entire Natural History Building, a structure erected 

 especially for this particular purpose. To-day, however, large areas 

 in the building are assigned — and that from necessity — to the rapidly 

 growing collections of the National Gallery of Art and, in larger 

 measure even, to the great accumulations of historical material relat- 

 ing to the late war which are just now demanding adequate atten- 

 tion. The older building, designed to accommodate the nationally 

 important department of arts and industries — and not adequate in 

 space to serve this purpose — is half filled, and from absolute neces- 

 sity, with a great body of unrelated exhibits, representing history, 

 anthropolog}^, and art. 



The National Gallery of Art, now for the first time taking an 

 enviable place among the galleries of the country, is crowded into 

 the Natural History Building without possibility of expansion, and 

 many liberally inclined collectors of art works, who seek a perma- 

 nent home for their treasures and who may be generously disposed 

 toward Washington, are necessarily met with the statement that 

 additional collections, if acquired, must go into storage. These pos- 

 sible benefactors of the nation are thus turned to other institutions 

 or toward the auction room. The Nation is accordingly deprived 

 of the possibility of building up, even by gift and bequest, collec- 

 tions of art such as are highly prized and fully provided for by 

 civilized nations generally. The sooner a building devoted to the 

 fine arts is provided, the more readily will the American people find 

 themselves in the forefront in all that characterizes to the highest 

 level of civilization. 



American histor}^, one of the most essential and vital of the de- 

 partments of Museum activity, is not better provided for than art. 

 A building of an order commensurate with a great national purpose 

 is an absolute essential, and its erection should be provided for with, 

 the least possible delay. 



