REPORT or :N'AT10iSIAL MUSEUM, rj22. 115 



down to the present. The technical exhibits of this process are not 

 very prepossessing, although they show the process. This will be 

 changed as soon as opportunity offers. Two improvements were 

 made this year; one, an exhibit made by the writer some years ago, 

 showing a drawing on grained zinc, with proofs, was substituted for 

 an old inartistic exhibit. The other was the addition of a new 

 process of reprinting books without the aid of a camera and without 

 splitting the sheets of paper. The " Manul " process, as it is called, 

 was developed in Switzerland by the Poh'graphic Co., who made a 

 small exhibit consisting of a film, zinc plate, a print, and the original, 

 which was a page of a Smithsonian pamphlet. The reprint is an 

 exact facsimile. The technical cases of lithography have not been 

 moved from the chapel, because there are as yet no cases to take their 

 places. 



The west end of the main hall now contains all the woodcuts, 

 Avood engravings, engravings, and mezzotints, with the technical 

 specimens, the relief prints on the north side and the intaglio on 

 the south. A photograph of Albrecht Durer's first woodcut, made in 

 1492, was obtained from Berlin. Howard C. Levis, the author, 

 donated a small sixteenth century wood block and modern proofs 

 from it. This is the only ancient block in the division. He also 

 gave an onginal engraved wood block by Dr. Alexander Anderson, 

 America's first important wood engraver, who was a follower of 

 Bewick. This block is especially interesting, as it is a portrait of 

 George Washington and because the original publication accom- 

 panies it — "The American Orator," by Increase Cooke, published 

 by Sidney's Press for John Babcock & Son, New Haven, 1818. 

 The National Gallery transferred 116 beautiful proofs of American 

 wood engravings, all framed, from the Evans collection. Several 

 have been used and add to the beauty of the exhibit. Courtney C. 

 Allen, a Washington artist, contributed a series showing his method 

 of printing from linoleum blocks. This includes the original draw- 

 ing, the engraved block, and the finished print. This is an entirely 

 new series. 



At the south side of the main hall are to be found all the exhibits 

 relating to intaglio engraving on metal. No important specimens 

 have been added to this series, but several minor examples are in- 

 cluded from Mr. Huckel's recent gift. 



Improvements have been made in several series, as, for example, 

 William H. Holmes has given two of his beautiful water colors and 

 Franldin Booth has loaned one of his fine black-and-white drawings, 

 which have raised the standard of the drawing and painting exhibit. 

 It is the desire to secure the very best to improve the technical 

 series and to complete the historical series. A list of the wants is 

 given to show the needs of the division. 



