THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 21 



country as to assure to the public and especially to the lovers and 

 patrons of art the wholly worthy purpose of this movement on 

 behalf of the nation. 



As paintings and sculpture were the subjects with which 

 such an advisory committee was expected to be more immedi- 

 ately concerned, its membership was sought with this require- 

 ment in view, although its scope might at any time be enlarged. 

 The number of members was fixed at five for the present, the 

 selection of three of these being requested of as many leading 

 art associations, the other two to be named by the Institution. 

 The committee held its first meeting for organization in Wash- 

 ington on April i6, 1908, and is constituted as follows: Mr. 

 Francis D. Millet, President; Mr. Frederick Crowninshield, 

 representing the Fine Arts Federation of which he is President ; 

 Mr. Edwin H. Blashfield, representing the National Academy of 

 Design; Mr. Herbert Adams, representing the National Sculp- 

 ture Society of which he is President ; and Mr. William H. Holmes, 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, Secretary of the Committee. 



Notwithstanding the original provision for art, neither of the 

 buildings now occupied by the Museum contains quarters which 

 are actually suited to the display of paintings on an extensive 

 scale, due to defects in lighting. This applies equally to the 

 western wing and connecting range of the Smithsonian building, 

 although they were specially designed for the purpose, and to 

 the western end of the second story prepared for the Indian 

 pictures of Stanley and King. Subsequent to the fire of 

 January, 1865, such parts of the collection as remained after 

 the deposits made in the Library of Congress and the Corcoran 

 Gallery of Art were cared for in the offices of the Institution and 

 the exhibition halls of the Museum. The recall of these deposits 

 in 1896 led to the fitting up of one of the rooms on the second 

 floor of the eastern vv'ing of the Smithsonian building, more 

 especially for the prints, though other classes of objects and a 

 part of the art library are also kept there. 



The receipt of the bequest of Harriet Lane Johnston in 1906 

 made it important to hasten arrangements for at least the 

 temporary installation of paintings. There was only one hall 

 which could at that time be assigned to this purpose, the lecture 

 room in the Museum building adjoining the main entrance, 



