APPENDIX 2 

 REPORT OX THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 



Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report on the activi- 

 ties of the National Gallery of Art for the fiscal year ended June 30, 

 1936: 



In the last 12 months much of the business of the Gallery has related 

 to the care, protection, and restoration of paintings in the possession 

 of the Government. Six ^Yere cleaned, relined, and restored for the 

 United States National Museum. Forty-nine of the paintings in the 

 White House were cleaned, varnished, and protected; one was 

 mounted on masonite. The Harriet Lane Johnston paintings in the 

 Gallery were all cleaned, varnished, and covered at the back with 

 sisal kraft paper. Three of these were cleaned of varnish and care- 

 fully restored. 



An air-conditioning unit for humidity and temperature control has 

 been installed in the storage workroom. The temperature is main- 

 tained at from 70° to 78°, and the relative humidity is held to a varia- 

 tion of about 2U percent, from 50 to 70 percent, which is a great 

 improvement over the conditions outside. Li addition to the better 

 preservation of our paintings and works of art, it would seem that 

 the conditioned temperature and humidity would reduce the forma- 

 tion of mold and the activity of insects. 



APPROPRIATIONS 



For the administration of the National Gallery of Art by the 

 Smithsonian Institution, including compensation of necessary em- 

 ployees, purchase of books of reference and periodicals, traveling 

 expenses, uniforms for guards, and necessary incidental expenses, 

 $34,275.00 was appropriated, of which $16,153.34 was expended for 

 the care and maintenance of the Freer Gallery of Art, a unit of the 

 National Gallery. 



THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART COMMISSION 



The fifteenth annual meeting of the National Gallery of Art Com- 

 mission was held at the Smithsonian Institution on December 10, 1935. 

 The members present were: Frank Jewett Mather, Jr., vice chair- 

 man ; Dr. Charles G. Abbot (ex officio) , secretary ; and Herbert Adams, 



25 



