16 ^ KEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1908. 



utilized to almost its entire capacity in the interest of the superb 

 assemblage of laces, embroideries, fans, porcelains, and other kindred 

 objects brought together by a number of the ladies of Washington, as 

 explained below. The average daily attendance of visitors amounted 

 to nearly 1,000, a number which would be greatly increased were it 

 jjossible to extend the hours of opening to Sundays and evenings. 



About 2G,000 duplicate specimens were utilized in making exchanges 

 and in suj^pljdng material to educational institutions. The publica- 

 tions comprised 8 volumes and parts of 2 unfinished volumes, all of 

 which, excej^t the annual or administrative report, w^ere descriptive of 

 Museum collections. The library, wholly restricted to subjects com- 

 ing within the scope of the Museum, received 3,257 books, 4,470 

 l^amphlets, and 247 j^arts of volumes, a large proportion of which 

 were acquired as gifts or in exchange. Interesting exhibits were made 

 at the Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exj)osition and the International 

 Maritime Exposition 'at Bordeaux, France, both of which were held 

 during the summer and early fall of 1907. 



NEW BUILDING FOR THK NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The progress of the work on the new building for the National 

 Museum was greatly hindered, as in previous years, by delays in ob- 

 taining the white granite from Vermont within the time limits fixed 

 by the contracts. The quarry, the cutters, and the railroads have 

 all been at fault in bringing about this unfortunate condition, which 

 has retarded the completion of the building for many months, and 

 has caused a considerable extra expense. 



At the close of the year the exterior walls, except those inclosing 

 the south pavilion and the dome, for which the stone had not been 

 received, were finished, and the construction of the roofs was well 

 under way. The interior structural walls and piers and the floors 

 Avere also completed in the rough, and many of the metal window 

 frames of the first and second stories were in place. Some of the 

 latter had likewise been glazed. So much work still remains to be 

 done in the interior, however, such as the building of partitions, the 

 laying of floors, the plastering, the installation of the heating, ven- 

 tilating, and lighting plants, with their immense ramifications of 

 pipes and wires, the completion of the windows, and countless lesser 

 details, that the expectation held forth of being able to make some 

 use of the building by January, 1909, has had to be abandoned. The 

 best that can now be looked for is that the storage and laboratory 

 quarters may be practically ready for occupancy toward the end of 

 the fiscal year. 



This sj^lendid large building, which covers a greater area than any 

 other government structure in Washington except the Capitol, was 



