ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 



1913 



To the Trustees of Field Museum of Natural History: 



I have the honor to present a report of the operations of the Museum 

 for the year ending December 31, 19 13. 



A review of the year's activities, while not without the broader and 

 more striking interest of expedition research and survey in various parts 

 of the world, shows that the labor performed, the material progress made, 

 has been very largely within the walls of the Institution in continuance 

 and enlargement of the plans of the past two years in preparing exhibi- 

 tion material for the New Building. This work not only includes the 

 installation of material that has not been on exhibition but the re-instal- 

 lation of exhibited material and the re-labeling of the latter. So well 

 have the different departments devoted their energies to this task that 

 the orderly and systematic physical appearance of the Museum has 

 ceased to elicit commendation from visitors or contemporaries. The 

 great number of installed new cases for which space is continually de- 

 manded from the already crowded floor area has interlocked the installa- 

 tion of departments and divisions to a degree that must be confusing to 

 visitors, as it certainly is most unsatisfactory to the management. If 

 the pressure for space continues, as it seems likely it will do, some por- 

 tions of the Museum must be closed off as an improvised warehouse 

 where cases can be stored without any relation to passage-ways or any 

 regard for the convenience of visitors. In some of the courts and halls 

 the circulation provisions have been reduced to two-feet passage-ways 

 which really almost prohibits an inspection of the contents of the cases. 

 The Joseph N. Field Ethnological expedition to the South Sea 

 Islands concluded its three years' studies and collections, and Dr. Lewis, 

 the head of the expedition, has returned and for several months has been 

 engaged in cataloguing, labeling and installing this most prized collec- 

 tion. It is now quite apparent that the great extent of this collection 

 will not permit its complete installation for several years, though from 

 its abundance a notable representation will be on view within the coming 

 year. In addition to the fund provided by Mr. Joseph N. Field for the 

 field work of this South Pacific expedition, a further and large sum was 

 contributed by Mr. Field for the purchase of an important collection of 



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