530 REPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, IDO-J. 



seer." This ovcmbuncUince constitutes an especial vice of museuin 

 science. Only the best should be readily accessible. Here also the 

 collections are daniac^ed by being exposed to daylight (also to electric 

 light) from morning until evening, which is the more regrettable since 

 a large portion of the exhibits are of such a nature as not to endure 

 the light at all. The exposure is, therefore, scarcely justifiable. 



The number of visitors to the museum in 1900 was 846,489, of which 

 87,854 came on Sundays. Umbrellas and the like are not deposited 

 at the door. Visitors are at a disadvantage on account of the small 

 number of trained attendants. The majority of attendants in nearly 

 all English museums are policemen, who are engaged oidy temporarily. 

 One is therefore unable to obtain information of an}^ value concernirig 

 the collections, and on account of the size of the whole exhibition a 

 study of the "guides" and "handbooks" is not to be thought of 

 unless one is pursuing a single tpiestion. Even if a person wishes, for 

 example, to obtain information about some certain object, it requires 

 at least an hour or more, on account of the extent of the collection. 



The annual expenditure for 1897-98 amounted to $420,000, of which 

 $70,000 was devoted to the purchase of specimens, $190,000 to sala- 

 ries ($60,000 to the policemen), $60,000 for cleaning, and |26,000 for 

 heating and lighting.* Some very instructive data relating to the 

 internal affairs of this museum may be found in the second report 

 from the select committee on museums of the science and art depart- 

 ment, with the proceedings of the committee, ordered by the House 

 of Commons to be printed July 29, 1898 (folio, 105 pp.). 



NATIONAL (iALl-EKY. 



The National (jallery, with its famous collection of paintings, lacks 

 intimate charm in the st^de of its building and in the installation of 

 the pictures. This is emphasized by the great influx of the general 

 public. Umbrellas, etc., are required to be deposited. In 1901 it was 

 visited by 478,346 persons on 204 free days, besides 35,704 on 30 Sun- 

 day afternoons, and 42,177 on Tuesdays and Frida3's for an admission 

 fee of six pence, making a total of 556,227. (The Dresden Galler}- 

 had, in 1901, 266,263 visitors.) 



NATIOiNAL GALLERY OF BRITISH ARTS, OR TATE (;A1>LKRV. 



The Tate Gallery is a new building, in classic style, designed by 

 S. K. J. Smith and constructed in 1897-1899. I do not regard the 

 building, as such, especially noteworthy or well adapted to its pur- 



« ' ' That the South Kensington Museum should have degenerated into a vast, 

 (chaotic onmium-gatherum, without intelligible plan, methodic; province, or definite 

 order, was only to be expected as the ultimate result of this system alone." T. C. 

 Robinson, Nineteenth Century, 1892, p. 1029. 



&For the year 1903, £66,994 has been granted, inclusive of the Bethnal Green 

 Museum, a branch institution. 



