54 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



before them for three or four years — ever since, indeed, by their own act, 

 in connection with the preparations for the participation of the Govern- 

 ment Departments in the International Exposition in Philadelphia, and 

 the valuable gifts of foreign Governments upon that occasion, the Siiiitli- 

 sonian building had been filled to overflowing with unassorted material 

 of the highest value for educational and scientific uses. These facts 

 should be borne in mind in considering the present condition of the 

 Museum, which is really — thanks to a large and efficient staff of cura- 

 tors — in much better condition than a glance at the exhibition halls 

 would seem to indicate. 



If Congress continues its present policy in making appropriations for 

 the coming fiscal year I shall be able to report at your next meeting 

 that the exhibition series of specimens is in nearly as good condition 

 as the study series — which is not now the case, for it has been our policy 

 to work from the foundation upwards and to get the great mass of the 

 reserve collections into good condition, before attempting to prepare 

 the selected series of specimens for display in the open cases. 



More than ten years ago* — as Assistant Secretary — I pointed out in 

 my report to the Secretary of the Institution that the annual growth of 

 the Museum was undoubtedly greater than that of any other in the 

 world 5 that is, so far as the accession of great masses of material was 

 concerned. The increase at present is much greater than formerly, but 

 the accessions are much more manageable, owing to the larger number 

 of assistants employed. For twenty years the Assistant Secretary of the 

 Smithsonian Institution, with the»help of one or two laborers and such 

 students as happened to volunteer their aid, performed all the duties of, 

 curatorship of the national collections. It was not until 1874 that a 

 special staff of Museum assistants was recognized, with duties apart 

 from the executive work of the Institution, and not until 1875 that the 

 office of curator was established, that office being held by the Assist- 

 ant Secretary from 1875 to 1878. Up to 1880 there was still but one 

 curator, with a number of " assistants," but during that year an execu- 

 tive officer, with the grade of assistant director, was appointed, and the 

 five principal assistants in the Museum were designated curators. The 

 present organization of the personnel, then, dates back only five years, 

 to the time when preparations were being made for taking possession of 

 the new building. 



The staff", as now organized, consists of two classes — the scientific 

 officers, or curators, and the administrative officers; the former report- 

 ing to the director of the Museum, the latter to the assistant director, 

 who also has general supervision of the administrative work of the 

 curators. 



There are at present 19 curatorships, some of which are divided as 

 indicated below, so that the number of heads of departments or sub- 

 )lepa.rtments is 25, and the total number of men in the scientific staff" 



* Smithsonian Report for 1873, p. 49. 



