104 THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 



same building, nor shall the said collections, or any part thereof, be re- 

 moved at any time from the said building except when necessary for the 

 purpose of making repairs or renovations in the building. 



Sixth. No charge shall ever be made for admission to the building or 

 for the privilege of examining or studying the collections. 



Seventh. The collections and building shall always bear my name in 

 some modest and appropriate form. 



In lieu of the foregoing offer, I am willing, upon the conditions above 

 expressed, to make a present conveyance of the title to said collections 

 to the Institution or the Government, and a bequest of the sum of $500,000 

 for the building, provided: 



1. The collections shall remain in my possession during my life, and in 

 the possession of my executors after my death until the completion of the 

 building. 



2. I shall have the right to make such additions to the collections as may 

 seem to me advisable or necessary for the improvement of the collections, 

 or any of them. 



3. On or before April next I will file with the officials of the Smithsonian 

 Institution or the United States Government a descriptive inventory of 

 the objects belonging to the collections. 



4. Both I and my executors shall be free from any liability on account 

 of any loss in or danger that may accrue to the collections while in my or 

 their charge, even though such loss or injury shall occur by reason of my 

 or their negligence, or the negligence of my or their servants, agents or 

 employees. 



The exact form of the bequest or gift, and the details for carrying it 

 into execution, are legal questions that can be agreed upon by counsel 

 representing the Institution or the Government and myself. 

 I am, with great respect, very sincerely yours, 



Charles L. Freer. 



Following is the resolution of acceptance, adopted by the 

 Board on January 24, 1906: 



"The Board of Regents, recognizing the great value to the 

 people of the United States of the art collection so generously 

 offered by Mr. Charles L. Freer, of Detroit, Michigan; 



"Resolved, That the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian 

 Institution do hereby accept the tender of Mr. Freer to make 

 present conveyance to the Institution of the title to his art 

 collection, and to bequeath to the Institution the sum of 

 $500,000 for the construction of a fireproof building in which 

 to house it, under the terms as stated in his communication to 

 the President of the United States dated December 15, 1905." 



The title to the collection as then constituted, consisting of 



