this building as against 1,025,002 in the preceding year. Of this 

 number, all but 77,980 were admitted free, either because they came 

 on the free admission days, or belonged to classifications admitted 

 free on all days — children, teachers, Museum members, and mem- 

 bers of the armed forces of the United Nations. The number of 

 paying visitors was also slightly under that of 1942, when there were 

 79,144. 



Considering the fact that most people have much heavier drains 

 on their time due to the intensive pace of war activities, that apart 

 from their working hours they are naturally more preoccupied with 

 the war than with anything else, and that local transportation either 

 by public conveyance or by private automobiles under the gasoline 

 and tire conservation measures now in effect, is exceedingly difficult, 

 it is felt that the attendance the Museum has received is exceedingly 

 good. The figures would seem to indicate that if it were not for all 

 the adverse conditions listed, attendance might have soared to much 

 greater heights. It is encouraging to note that the Museum's posi- 

 tion in this regard compares very favorably with the experience dur- 

 ing this same period of other cultural institutions both in this city 

 and elsewhere. 



As always, the benefits available through the Museum were 

 extended to hundreds of thousands of people who never entered its 

 portals, by means of the traveling exhibits circulated in the schools 

 and elsewhere by the N. W. Harris Public School Extension. Also, 

 many groups of children were reached in their classrooms by the 

 extension lecturers sent out by the James Nelson and Anna Louise 

 Raymond Foundation for Public School and Children's Lectures. 

 Sections reporting in detail the activities of these two units of the 

 Museum organization will be found on pages 24 and 30. 



Other means employed by the Museum to extend its influence as 

 a disseminator of scientific information beyond its own walls included 

 the constant campaign of publicity through newspapers, periodicals, 

 the radio, motion pictures, and published material issued by the 

 Museum press. 



The annual spring and autumn courses of illustrated lectures for 

 adults, presented in the James Simpson Theatre on Saturday after- 

 noons during March, April, October, and November, attracted large 

 audiences, as did also the Saturday morning motion picture enter- 

 tainments for children presented during the same months under the 

 auspices of the Raymond Foundation. Likewise well attended were 

 the summer programs for children presented on Thursdays during 

 July and August. Mr. Paul G. Dallwig, the popular "Layman 



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