SECRETARY'S REPORT 217 



eluding the U.S. Department of Labor. Ten exliibits were refur- 

 bished and three sets of slide notes were rewritten. 



The material of the Index was studied during the year by 502 

 visitors conducting research, collecting material for publication and 

 design, and gathering illustrations for publications. 



The curator of the Index held conferences with important scholars, 

 attended meetings, lectured on American folk art to USIA personnel 

 and three other groups, and conducted tours for several foreign visi- 

 tors interested in Index material. 



MAINTENANCE OF THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS 



The Gallery building, mechanical equipment, and grounds have 

 been maintained throughout the year at the established standards. 



Replacement of the sidewalk on the Mall side of the building, be- 

 tween Fourth Street and Seventh Street, was accomplished under a 

 contract let by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior. 



The Gallery entered into contracts for the conversion of a pas- 

 senger elevator from manual to automatic operation and for the com- 

 plete renovation of the skylight on the west wing of the building. 

 Work under these contracts will be completed during the next fiscal 

 year. The passenger elevator conversion will complete the program 

 of converting all such elevators to automatic control. 



Storm windows were installed at the windows in the Print Storage 

 Room to eliminate the condensation which formed on the inside of 

 the windows during cold weather. This treatment is planned for all 

 other windows in the building as funds become available. 



The Gallery greenhouse continued to produce flowering and foliage 

 plants in quantities sufficient for all decorative needs of special open- 

 ings and day-to-day requirements of the Garden Courts. 



LECTOUR 



During the fiscal year 1963 Lectour, the Gallery's electronic guide 

 system, was used by 66,321 visitors. This reduction in the use of 

 the system as compared with fiscal year 1962 is largely due to the fact 

 that it was not feasible to operate the system during the 27 days of 

 the Mona Lisa exhibition. 



Lobby D, the room in which recent acquisitions are exhibited, was 

 wired for Lectour by the Gallery staff; Lectour talks can now be pro- 

 vided for all new acquisitions. 



OTHER ACTIVITIES 



Forty Sunday evening Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation concerts 

 were given during the year in the East Garden Court. The National 

 Gallery of Art Orchestra, conducted by Richard Bales, played eight 



