602 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1903. 



installation is as a whole not attractive, but in man}^ details worth 

 imitating. The charts of geographical distrilnition, now found in 

 many museums in the world, emanated from Brussels and have been 

 elaborated here more than anywhere else. Especially noteworth}^ is 

 the labeling and a large series of long descriptive and instructive 

 placards. The minister at one time instructed the director to arrange 

 for lectures in the museum for the benefit of the visiting public; the 

 latter determined, however, to give these in the form of information 

 on labels, arguing that in this way the information could l)e dissemi- 

 nated much more widely. 



In this retired location the museum is visited annually by 80,000 

 persons; in the city formerly by 150,000. It is opened daily from 10 

 a. m. to 3 or -1 p. m., according to the time of the year — in my judg- 

 ment, nmch too long a time for preserving the colors of the specimens. 



For the prevention of fire, extinguishers are everywhere installed, 

 known as the Extincteur Instantane, Systeme Ad. Vandrooghenbroeck, 

 Molenbeek-Bruxelles. 



The annual expenditures amount to $31,750, Publications are 

 issued as follows: Annales (10 volumes in folio up to 1896), Bulletins 

 (7 volumes in octavo up to 1888), and Memoires (since 1900 one volume 

 in quarto). 



It is not eas}" in a brief space to do justice to this original and 

 uniquel}^ organized museum. 



4?,. BRIEF NOTi:S ON VARIOUS COLLECTIONS AND BUILDINGS. 



I also visited in Brussels the House of the People (Maison du 

 Peuple), designed by Horta, a remarkable, large, modern structure 

 (completed in 1899) for the recreation and instruction of the working 

 people, erected b}^ themselves at a cost of $160,000 and utilized also as 

 a socialistic sales house. It is entirely' modern in style, fireproof, and 

 especially noteworth}" on account of the interior iron construction of 

 a hall, which accommodates 3,000 persons, used for asseml)lies, lec- 

 tures, as a theater, and for concerts. It is artistically embellished, 

 not in the style of a railway station, as is found in many museums — as, 

 for instance, in the older part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 

 New York, in the museums of Science and Art in Dublin and Edin- 

 burgh, and in the Natural History Museum of London, etc. Architects 

 who build nuiseums should inspect this hall. 



The Roj-al Museum of Modern Painting (Musee lioyal de Peinture 

 moderne) is open daily from 10 a. m. to 3, 4, or 5 p. m., according to 

 the time of the year. Its lighting is insnfticient, as in many picture 

 galleries. The great number of watchmen who were sleeping or 

 entertaining themselves was noticeable, as also the marked lack of 

 visitors. 



