REPORT ON THE DIVISION OF HISTORY. 

 By T. T. Belote, Curator. 



IMPORTANT CHANGES IN ORGANIZATION. 



During the past fiscal year the organization of the division of 

 history has undergone an important change. On July 1, 1920, the 

 division which had been a branch of the department of anthropology 

 since its organization in 1881, was given an independent status as a 

 separate and distinct branch of the Museum's activities. This action 

 was the logical result of the tremendous development of the historical 

 collections, particularly during the more recent period of their exist- 

 ence, a development which rendered their efficient and economic admin- 

 istration except as an independent unit a very difficult matter. The 

 change was desirable, however, not only from the standpoint of ef- 

 ficiency and economy but from the scientific point of view as well, 

 in that the historical collections in the Museum represent classes of 

 materials of an unique character. They are of special interest and 

 value to the public and to the student of history on account of their 

 exceptional patriotic and educational significance in connection with 

 the national development of the United States. Illustrating pri- 

 marily military and naval history, they represent also many other 

 phases of American achievements and contributions to world prog- 

 ress along social, political, technical, and scientific lines. 



The establishment of the division upon an independent basis, and 

 the addition to the staff of an aid in connection with the war collec- 

 tions has greatly increased the facilities of the division for systematic 

 historical museum work. The separation of the historical from the 

 anthropological collections permits their future development along 

 strictly historical lines, and at the same time eliminates a great vol- 

 ume of work of routine character which was necessary under the 

 former arrangement. 



COMPAHISON OF INCREMENT OF SPECIMENS OF 1920-21 WITH THAT OF 1919—20. 



The number of specimens received during the past fiscal year is 

 much smaller than the number received during the previous year. 

 This is explained by the fact that the number received during the 

 fiscal year 1919-20 was uncommonly large, owing to the acquirement 

 by the Museum of an immense amount of military and naval ma- 



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