THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 63 



transferred to the Institution, and although these are not very 

 choice illustrations of sculpture, they serve as a beginning of a 

 collection in this line which may hereafter be worthy of the 

 Institution." 



The Institution also received in 1858 from Miss Elizabeth B. 

 Contaxaki, of the island of Crete, an album of sketches designed 

 and executed by her, with the assistance of six Greek gentle- 

 men, of the principal ruins in Athens, and views of the most 

 famous historical places there and in other parts of Greece, 

 correctly drawn and delicately colored. This donation was 

 transmitted by the American Minister at Constantinople through 

 the Secretary of State. 



At a meeting of the Board of Regents on February 15, 1859, 

 it was resolved: "That the sum of two thousand dollars be 

 appropriated, to be expended at the discretion of the executive 

 committee, for procuring castings or moulds for castings of the 

 chef d'oeuvres of art in Europe." This authorization was never 

 availed of, although in his report for i860, Secretary Henry refers 

 to a letter from Father Secchi, of Rome, stating that he had 

 received permission for the Institution to procure casts or 

 moulds of celebrated statues in the Vatican. 



In i860 Secretary Henry also stated that, "A considerable 

 number of valuable engravings have been added to the collec- 

 tion by donation and a series of those previously in the posses- 

 sion of the Institution, have been framed and hung up in dif- 

 ferent parts of the building. The plaster figures received by the 

 Institution from the Patent Office have been cleaned and re- 

 paired, and are now exhibited in the connecting range of the 

 west wing. The Secretary of the Interior has sent to the In- 

 stitution the large stone sarcophagus brought from Syria by 

 Commodore Elliott. It is an interesting relic of Roman sculp- 

 ture, and has been placed in the south entrance hall of the 

 building. It is proper also to mention that the relatives of the 

 late Professor Espy have presented a half length portrait of him, 

 which is at present placed in the library." 



The additions to the art collection acknowledged by Secretary 

 Henry in 1861 were as follows, though it should be explained 

 that the objects from the Patent Office which had belonged to the 

 National Institute were not actually received until July, 1862: 



