10 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1910. 



sion of knowledge, for tlie direction of research, for cooperation 

 with departments of the Government and with universities and 

 scientific societies in America, and likewise afford a definite corre- 

 spondent to all scientific institutions and men abroad who seek inter- 

 change of views or knowledge with men of science in the United 

 States. 



Since that early day no material change has been suggested in the 

 general scope of the Government Museum; it has only remained to 

 elaborate the details, and the opportunity is now at hand to realize 

 all that the first board had in view, since ample space has become 

 available. 



The development of the Museum has naturally been greatest in 

 those subjects which the conditions of the past sixty years have made 

 most fruitful — the natural history, geology, ethnology, and arche- 

 ology of the United States, supplemented by many collections from 

 other countries. The opportunities in these directions have been 

 mainly brought about through the activities of the scientific and 

 economic surveys of the Government, many of which are the direct 

 outgrowths of earlier explorations, stimulated or directed by the 

 Institution. The Centennial Exhibition of 1876 afl'orded the first 

 opportunity for establishing a department of the industrial arts on a 

 creditable basis, and of this the fullest advantage was taken, though 

 only a part of the collections then obtained could be accommodated 

 in the space available. 



The department or gallery of the fine arts had made little progress, 

 though not from lack of desire or appreciation, until within the past 

 four years, during which its interests have been markedly advanced, 

 as elsewhere explained. 



Another subject to which much attention has been paid with satis- 

 factory results is American history, illustrated by objects repre- 

 senting distinguished personages and important events as well as the 

 domestic life of the country from the colonial period to the present 

 day. 



It is gratifying to note that the new building has now been so far 

 completed as to permit of taking up the work of readjusting the 

 collections, whose systematic arrangement has for many years been 

 impossible through lack of sufficient space. To this large structure, 

 specially erected for their accommodation, the collections of zoology, 

 geology, ethnology, and archeolog}^ are being rapidly transferred, 

 making available for the arts and industries the entire older build- 

 ing and a part of the Smithsonian building. 



With its collections thus distributed between the three buildings, 

 all fireproof and of substantial construction, the National Museum 

 may be expected to enter upon an era of renewed prosperity and 

 usefulness. 



