note of the policy of the Museum is the efficient utilization of its 

 resources for the greatest service to the people. 



The accomplishment of this reorganization has involved an 

 enormous amount of technical work in the creation of administra- 

 tive systems, library, scientific records, shops, laboratories, etc., 

 which are the indispensable equipment of an active museum, but 

 which had to be created from the beginning in this instance. 

 This work, in addition to remodeling the building, which was 

 transferred to the Museum by City Council in 1907, required 

 all the time of the staff and all available funds for three or four 

 years. This was the most critical period of the reorganization, be- 

 cause the work was not of a nature to appeal to the general pub- 

 lic. The interest with which the new plans for the Museum were 

 received in the beginning naturally began to wane. Yet, even 

 at this time, a small but growing number of persons was acquir- 

 ing a new conception of the organization and scope of the mod- 

 ern muesum. This class has increased much more rapidly dur- 

 ing the last three years, as the various working departments 

 have come into practical operation and the installation of exhib- 

 its and their educational use has been extended. The subse- 

 quent pages of this report show how much the Museum has grown 

 in the estimation of the public. 



THE ONE HUNDRED AND FORTIETH ANNIVERSARY 



The one hundred and fortieth anniversary of the Charleston 

 Museum was celebrated by a public reception on the evening of 

 March 28. The receiving party represented the interests allied 

 with the Museum and included Mayor John P. Grace, represent- 

 ing the City of Charleston, and Mrs. Grace; the Hon. John F. 

 Ficken, president of the board of trustees and of the Charleston 

 Library Society, and Mrs. Ficken; the Hon. W. St. Julien Jervey, 

 chairman of the committee on the Museum; Mr. Paul M. Rea, 

 director of the Museum, and Mrs. Rea; Miss Laura M. Bragg, 

 curator in the Museum; Mr. Henry P. Williams, representmg the 

 Museum members, and Mrs. Williams; Miss Annie L. Sloan, rep- 

 resenting the Natural History Society; Dr. Harrison Randolph, 

 president of the College of Charleston, and Mrs. Randolph; Dr 

 Robert Wilson, Jr., dean of the Medical College of the State of 

 South Carolina, and Mrs. Wilson; Hon. James Simons, chairman 

 of the board of public school commissioners, and Mrs. Simons. 



About eight hundred people attended the reception, which 



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