EEPORT OF NATIOiSTAL MUSEUM^ 1914. 37 



inch to raise the frame above the strips, but the upper groove con- 

 tains only one such roller, placed about 1 inch from the back of the 

 frame to prevent friction as the frame is started. On the front edge 

 of each frame is a bronze-finished bar drawer pull, a label holder, 

 and a numbered disk. The frames are doubly secured in the case 

 by a hinged cornice at the top and a wooden flap at the bottom, 

 which are fastened by locks at the ends. They are released for in- 

 spection by unlocking the flap, being stopped at the proper place by 

 a square strip of wood attached at the top, and may be wholly re- 

 moved by also throwing the cornice back on top of the case. Still 

 other attachments give greater refinement to the mechanism of the 

 case in several ways. 



Summarizing the principal merits of these cases, especially with 

 reference to their use by the public, it may be said that the frames 

 run so smoothly that they are instinctively pushed back into place, 

 which is an important matter as operating against an unlimited ex- 

 posure of the stamps and their consequent more rapid fading ; while, 

 furthermore, the frames are all in a single row and center at a height 

 of about 4 feet 10 inches above the floor, which places each mounting 

 easily within the range of vision of the ordinary standing visitor. 



The stamps are mounted on quadrille paper, which is supple- 

 mented in each face of the frames with a mat having four quad- 

 rangular openings, the stamps being appropriately grouped for this 

 arrangement, which greatly adds to the appearance of the installa- 

 tion. Between the two mountings is a sheet of one-fourth inch com- 

 pressed filler board. The labeling of the individual stamps has gone 

 forward with their mounting and is done directly on the quadrille 

 sheets by means of a typewriter having gothic type. The results 

 are very satisfactory in effect and much more durable than by at- 

 taching the many thousands of separate printed labels that would 

 otherwise have been required. There remain to be added the general 

 printed labels, one on each frame face giving the name of the country 

 represented, and one on the front edge of each frame indicating the 

 scheme of arrangement. 



The installation of the collection, instead of according with the 

 usual stereotyped alphabetical arrangement throughout, agrees prac- 

 tically with that of the coins and medals, and therefore begins with 

 the United States, followed by the foreign nations in alphabetical 

 order, the stamps of the colonies being grouped together geographi- 

 cally under each respective mother country. It is ultimately pro- 

 posed to add an alphabetical and numbered list of all the countries 

 and colonies represented, by means of which any particular set of 

 stamps may be quickl}'^ located in the cases. 



The total capacity of the 296 frames in the present cabinet is about 

 75,000 stamps. Approximately 20,000 had been mounted by the close 



