58 THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 



obliged to dispose of it in parts." The Smithsonian fire of 1865 

 destroyed the entire collection, with the exception of four or five 

 pictures which had been hung in the east wing of the building. 



In most of the annual reports of the Institution from 1852 to 

 1865, the Stanley collection is referred to, in connection with the 

 gallery of art or otherwise. The following extract is from the 

 report of Secretary Henry for 1852 : 



"One of the original propositions of the programme is that of 

 encouraging art, by providing a suitable room for the exhibition 

 of pictures free of expense to the artist. In accordance with 

 this, the large room in the west wing will be devoted to this pur- 

 pose. It now contains a very interesting series of portraits, 

 mostly full-size, of one hundred and fifty-two North American 

 Indians, with sketches of the scenery of the country they in- 

 habit, deposited by the artist who painted them, Mr. J. M. 

 Stanley. These portraits were all taken from life, and are accu- 

 rate representations of the peculiar features of prominent indi- 

 viduals of forty-three different tribes, inhabiting the south- 

 western prairies, New Mexico, California, and Oregon. The 

 faithfulness of the likenesses has been attested by a number of 

 intelligent persons who have visited the gallery, and have im- 

 mediately recognised among the portraits those of the individ- 

 uals with whom they have been personally acquainted. The 

 author devoted to the work of obtaining these pictures ten years 

 of his life, and perseveringly devoted himself to his task in the 

 face of difficulties and dangers which enthusiasm in the pursuit 

 could alone enable him to encounter. The Institution has pub- 

 lished a descriptive catalogue of these portraits, which are of 

 interest to the ethnologist as representatives of the peculiar 

 physiognomy, as well as many of the customs, of the natives of 

 this continent." 



On January 28, 1858, Mr. Stanley addressed the Board of 

 Regents as follows : 



Gentlemen : The undersigned offers for sale, and respectfully suggests 

 to your honorable Board the propriety of purchasing, the gallery of Indian 

 portraits now, and for some years past, in the Smithsonian Institution. 



He proposes to sell the whole collection described in the catalogue pub- 

 lished by the institution, one hundred and fifty-two in number, for the sum 

 of twelve thousand dollars — one-third of the same cash and the remainder 



