22 EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1908. 



As the success of tliis undertaking must depend to a great extent 

 on private contributions, it is extremely gratifying to announce that 

 during the past year a movement has been started for the very laud- 

 able purpose of stimulating public interest in a direction where 

 individual help is especially needed. The field is one belonging 

 essentially to woman — the adornment of the church, the home, and 

 the person — since its development has been mainly due to her inspira- 

 tion and its achievements have resulted largely from her handiAvork. 

 With boundaries not clearly definable and with a large percentage of 

 objects difficult of classification, owing to their composite nature, the 

 range of material employed is so great as to furnish exceptional 

 opportunities for the skill of the designer, the sculptor, and the 

 painter. 



The matter was first brought to the attention of the Museum by 

 Mrs. James W. Pinchot in 1907, with the tender of assistance on the 

 part of herself and of several other ladies of Washington, the proposi- 

 tion being to assemble a loan collection which, it was expected, would 

 lead to permanent contributions as has happened in connection with 

 other museums. This offer was heartily accepted, but action was 

 deferred until May, 1908, when, at an informal meeting called to 

 discuss the question, a committee, wnth Mrs. Pinchot as chairman, 

 was appointed to take charge of the work. Although only a few 

 weeks then remained in the fiscal year covered by this report, the 

 results accomplished during this time through the active efforts of 

 the committee proved not only very satisfactory, but especially note- 

 worthy as evincing the interest which the subject had aroused. Un- 

 fortunately, there was no clear space available for the exhibition in 

 either of the buildings, and it became necessary to make the installa- 

 tion along one side and between the screens of the improvised picture 

 gallery. This caused much crowding of the cases, of which 20 

 were required, but the lighting was found to be excellent. The 

 arrangement of the objects was attended to by the ladies of the com- 

 mittee and others invited to assist. 



Inasnuich as the work is being continued during the current year 

 and many additions and changes are expected to be made, a detailed 

 account of the collection Avill be reserved for the next report. It may 

 be said here, however, that the material brought together before the 

 close of the year comprised over 500 pieces, many of them old. rare, 

 and costly, and covered a very diversified field of European art craft. 

 The manner of its presentation, though not systematic, which would 

 have been difficult under the circumstances, has been attractive and 

 effective, and there is no doubt that the result has been appreciated by 

 the public. The subjects principally represented are laces, embroid- 

 eries, fabrics, fans, china, miniatures, enamels, gold and silver ware, 



