THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 75 



"This building has since been made fireproof, and recent 

 changes have given it means of properly caring for these col- 

 lections." 



Senator Gray offered the following resolution, which was 



adopted : 



''Resolved, That the question of the propriety of bringing the 

 works of art belonging to the Institution under the more imme- 

 diate control of the Board of Regents be referred to the Execu- 

 tive Committee and the Secretary, with power to act." 



In his report for 1900, referring to the resolution of the Board 

 of Regents, Secretary Langley adds : 



"In pursuance of this the Institution brought back to its own 

 keeping a number of prints of value, both from the Library of 

 Congress and the Corcoran Gallery, leaving, by an amicable 

 understanding with the latter establishment, as a loan, a few 

 of the works of art, notably a large picture by Healy. 



"The old name of the collections was the 'Gallery of Art,' a 

 title which seems almost too ambitious for the present collec- 

 tions of the Institution, though it is to be hoped that this des- 

 ignation will be justified by their future increase. These have 

 been placed by me in a room specially fitted up for that pur- 

 pose (the Art Room), under the temporary charge of the libra- 

 rian." 



The room to which Secretary Langley refers as having been 

 assigned to art purposes is one of the larger apartments on the 

 second floor of the east wing of the Smithsonian building, 

 measuring about 32 feet long by 14 feet wide and 11 feet 10 

 inches high. It has been artistically fitted up and furnished, 

 having a frieze of plaster copies in reduced size of a part of 

 the Elgin marbles, below which hangs a series of photographs 

 of portraits by eminent masters. Two large cases of drawers 

 designed for prints occupy one end of the room, while several 

 bookcases for important art works are placed along the sides. 

 The room also contains many small bronzes and other art objects. 



It would be very difficult under existing conditions to pre- 

 pare a catalogue of all the examples of art received since the 

 time of the fire in 1865, and such a list is not called for in this 

 connection. Some of the more noteworthy acquisitions of pic- 

 tures, bronzes and productions in plaster are, however, enumerated 

 herewith. 



