STUDIES (»N MUSEUMS AND KINDRED INSTITUTIONS. 441 



interests jiiv intrusted!! Ever since the 3ear 187S, when I became 

 ac(iuainted witli tlie Royal Library in Stockhohn, which stands isolated 

 upon a spacious plaza and is a fireproof buildino- of stone and iron, I 

 have advocated this principle for museum ])uildin«;s. but for the first 

 time in the })uilding of the Chicago Historical Society 1 found my 

 idea absolutely carried out, for even in Stockholm the}' have not 

 l)r<)ceed(Hl with such thorouohness. 



In the ironwork itself the historical museum does not excel. The 

 iron is not adequately treated, it rusts at the window frames, under 

 the tal)les, etc., because the proper materials were not used m paititing 

 and varnishing." Resides, the iron furniture is clumsy and often over 

 oiiiamented, although now, at least in America, iron furniture is pro- 

 duced of ornamental and tasteful design (as already mentioned, p. 

 '^)S()), whose extiM'nal appearance exacth' simulates wood, flust as 

 clumsy are the iron show desks, provided as they are with a primitive 

 arrangement for raising the lid that allows the dust to sift in. 

 Upright cases are not used. The iron book stacks, too, do not show 

 the neatness usually seen in such work in America (see pp. 871, 882, 

 899 of this paper), and as 1 shall describe hereafter, in the Pu))Iic 

 Library of Chicago. Hook shelves of sheet iron would be preferable 

 to those of heavy stone, whicli look clumsy. 



In spite of these criticisms 1 can ord}' again urge that the general 

 arrangement is in principle entirely correct, in execution excellent, 

 failing only in a slight degree to meet rigorous requirements, so that as 

 a whole it is to be most earnestly recommended to all museums for imi- 

 tation. In mj^ eyes, at least, the Historical Society of Chicago has per- 

 formed a great service in that it has carried out the idea and especialh^ 

 that it has created a model. There is at present no published descrip- 

 tion of the structure, but one is contemplated. 



Since 1S82 there ha\'e appeared four octavo volumes of Collections 

 besides Proceedings and Amuial Reports.'' There ai'c four regular sit- 

 tings during th(^ year. 



The soc^iety lias life lucinbeis (;>2 during 1894) who i)ai<l a single fee 

 of $,")(»(), annual members (now 180) who pay an annual fee of $25, 

 tx'sides honoT'ary and cori'esponding members. It also uses for pur- 

 chases the interest on its in\ested capital of $7."),(»(»0, )>ut has no 

 sup})ort at all from tlie State or the city. Its yearly Income for 

 administrative purposes reaches $5, ODD. 



" See oil this subject 15. K. Simon, Ueber Rostbildung und Eisenaiistriclie. Kine 

 kritisclie Stiulie. I'mtHii, 1S9(), VA pp. 



''A list of other pnl)hcatioiis of the society from 1S5(> on is found in tiie Annual 

 Report of the American Historieal Assoeiation for the year 1890 (Washington, 

 1891, pp. 197-20:^); also in the report of that association for the year 1895. For gen- 

 eral data relating to the society see Chicago Historical Society — Officers, Members, 

 Constitution, By-laws — Chicago, 1894, 22 pages, and the chapter on this subject in 

 History of Chicago, K. Blanchanl, I, jij). 640-047, 1899. 



