48() RKI'OKT OK NATIONAL MUSKUM, VMY.]. 



coluimis thiit nm tlirouoh from the ])as(Mnent to the top and are, as we 

 have said, Hi'eproof covered. They all .stand (see tig. 40) at the 

 interior side of the cases. This also seems to be simple, natural and 

 evident, but oidy look at the museums in regard to this point! At the 

 American Museum of Natural History in New York City, that mod- 

 ern, magnificent edifice, the front was constructed without taking into 

 consideration the dimensions of the cases — a mistake that, as stated 

 above, is made almost everywhere — and the columns inside in the halls 

 do not correspond with the piers between the windows, so that the 

 columns and the show cases come into conflict with each other. With 

 how many museiuns is this the case! In the Academy of Science of 

 Chicago the cases determine the interior architectual divisions, and 

 this is the only correct principle. In the same way, the gallery rail- 

 ing, with its desk cases, is organically connected with the architecture, 

 not attached externall}^ as we so often find. 



I again emphasize my opinion that 1 do not consider the chosen 

 dimensions to be the most happy ones, although they were directed 

 by the narrow space available. I only tried to show the rational 

 principle that was hereby followed and was worthy of imitation. 

 The ])uilding, situated in a v^ery much frequented public park at one 

 of the greater tratiic streets, must be ])uilt to oft'ei' a pleasant view 

 externally, and therein the architects were very successful with a 

 modern Frencii RtMuiissance style. For the same reason the front 

 nuist be made of a good material (limestone), and as the means were 

 not sufficient to make it longer, the height was necessarily proportioned 

 to the dimensions of the available ground, and conse({uently the height 

 of the single stories had to be reduced to a mininunn measure, or else 

 it would have iK'en too uniformly square. If the architects had not 

 thus been hindered their intellectual planning would have produced 

 still better results. 



Since the distribution of light is so very excellent in the building, 

 1 think it to be an advantage to mention the height of the single 

 stories and the situation and size of the windows. 



Ft. iu. 



Basement in clear '. 10 6 



Height of window 5 



Height of sill 3 6 



First story in clear 12 6 



Height of window 7 



Heightofsill 2 9 



Second story in clear to gallery 11 



Height of window 6 6 



Height of sill _.._ 3 .3 



(Jallery in clear 14 



Height of window 7 



Height of sill 2 9 



The vertical height in clear of the middle ceiling light is 34 

 inches. 



