NATIONAL MITSKUM BUILDINGS. 255 



The inner surface of all tlie roofs was originallj^ covered with a thin 

 coat of plaster. In the ranges the metal top was underlaid h}^ fireproof 

 gratings, to which the plaster was applied. As the keying proved 

 insufficient or the plaster not strong enough, large pieces began to 

 give way at the very beginning, and to eliminate this source of danger 

 all the plaster was removed in the ranges, leaving the gratings uncov- 

 ered. After })eing painted, however, the appearance of the ceiling 

 proved not to be out of keeping with its surroundings. In one range 

 the ceiling was at the same time covered with corrugated iron, leaving 

 an air space between it and the tin roof above, and it was thought by 

 the architects that this arrangement would tend to regulate the tem- 

 perature of the halls. Nothing further, however, has been done in 

 this direction. 



Through failure to secure additional space b}^ the erection of a new 

 building, galleries began to be added in the present building in 1896, 

 and their construction was continued from year to 3'ear until 19(»2. 

 They are now contained in all the halls except the north hall and the 

 north-east and east-north ranges, while in the south-east range the}" 

 have l)een united so as to form a complete second story. The main 

 entrances to the galleries are from the rotunda, and nearly the entire 

 series ma}" be traversed without descending to the floor. The width 

 of the galleries is from 10 to 14 feet and their height above the floor 

 1<) feet. The}" are of very simple construction, consisting of plain 

 iron pillars and girders, with brick archways and cement floors. The 

 area gained by this means has amounted to 25,828 square feet. 



All of the masonry of the exterior walls above ground, except as 

 noted below, is of red brick laid in black mortar, with numerous hor- 

 izontal courses of black brick, and a considerable quantity of bufl' 

 brick in courses and designs to relieve the monotony of color. A 

 number of blue brick were originally employed in connection with 

 the buff, but they were subsequently painted black. There is a base 

 course of granite around the entire Imilding, but the window sills, 

 copings, etc., are of gray Ohio sandstone. 



The interior walls are plastered in a sand finish, and were originally 

 covered with a gray water-color paint, poorly adapted as a background 

 for installation. The exhibition cases have been mainly constructed 

 with mahogany frames, for which maroon was found to be a most har- 

 monizing and efl'ective surrounding, and since about 1883 most of the 

 walls have been painted this color to a height of about 12 feet from 

 the floor, the original color remaining for the most part above. The 

 only decorations were stenciled figures on the walls of the rotunda 

 and over the archways at the inner ends of the main halls. In 1S>02, 

 however, experiments were made looking to a change of color, with 

 what is regarded as very satisfactory results. The colors used in the 

 main halls and courts are a light red to a height of 15 feet, followed 



