REPORT ON THE DIVISIONS OF MINERAL AND MECHANICAL 



TECHNOLOGY. 



By Carl W. Mitman, Curator. 



In the report for the year 1921 mention %Yas made that in May 

 of that year the separate divisions of mineral technology and mechani- 

 cal technology were combined and administered under one head. 

 With the close of the present fiscal year the administration of the 

 combined divisions has been in existence 14 months, and it is gratify- 

 ing to note that the benefits which it was expected would accrue to 

 the Museum and the public have been in a measure realized. The 

 advantages gained are not as evident in new exhibits, for the reason 

 that there is practically no available exhibition space, as they are 

 in the improvement of a large number of the existing exhibits 

 through an interchange of facilities previously had only by one or 

 the other of the independent divisions. It is estimated that in this 

 connection the results attained are 50 per cent greater than would 

 have been possible under the conditions which existed previously. 



COMPARISON OP INCREMENT OF OBJECTS OF 1921-22 WITH THAT OF 1920-21. 



As mentioned in the last annual report, it was proposed in the 

 immediate future to expend all efforts in the division of mineral 

 technology toward rounding out the exhibits already on hand, so 

 that during the present year no effort has been made in this divi- 

 sion toward the securing of new materials except such as might be 

 necessary in the completing of the present exhibits. While four ac- 

 cessions, comprising 466 specimens, were obtained in 1920-21, 

 five accessions were received during the fiscal year just closed, com- 

 prising 30 objects. All of these accessions have been used to round 

 out the jDresent exhibits, three of which are gifts and two have their 

 source within the Museum. 



From a numerical standpoint the collections in the division of 

 mechanical technology were increased by the receipt of over 100 

 per cent more specimens during the year than were received the 

 preceding year. There were received 356 objects, as compared with 

 162 the j)revious year. This number is divided among 33 accessions, 

 the same as in 1920-21. Of these accessions, 24 are gifts, 7 are 

 loans, 1 a transfer, and 1 made in the Museum. The distribution 

 of the 356 objects is as follows: One hundred eighty-nine to trans- 

 portation, 57 to metrology- 15 to firearms, and 95 to electrical engi- 



neering. 



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