198 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTmJTION, 1964 



The slide collection was greatly augmented. A checklist of slides 

 was instituted ; 2,537 slides were accessioned. The Carnegie Corpora- 

 tion aided in the purchase of the Carnegie Swrvey^ Arts of the United 

 States. 



STAFF ACTIVITIES 



Thomas M. Beggs, Director of the National Collection of Fine Arts 

 for 17 years, was appointed Special Assistant to the Secretary for 

 Fine Arts. David W. Scott was appointed Assistant Director, and 

 subsequently. Acting Director. 



During the past year the following were added to the staff: Val 

 Lewton, museum technician; Robin Bolton-Smith, research asistant; 

 Judith Chance, clerk-typist. 



The office handled approximately 1,800 personal inquiries, in addi- 

 tion to about 22,000 requests for information by mail and telephone ; 

 437 works of art were examined by the curatorial staff and the director. 



The reserve, permanent, and the lending collections were installed in 

 a new screen storage area, and the foyer gallery was refurbished. 



Physical inventory of paintings, sculpture, prints, and miniatures 

 in the collection has been completed and an inventory of the decorative 

 arts collection was begun by staff members. Two preliminary cata- 

 log listings, one of paintings, drawings, and sculpture, the other of 

 graphic arts, were completed by Robin Bolton-Smith, Donald McClel- 

 land, and David W. Scott. A survey of W.P.A. paintings at the De- 

 partment of Labor was carried on by Val Lewton. 



Thomas M. Beggs wrote the catalog introductions to the Washing- 

 ton County Museum exhibition Old Masters and the Department of 

 State exhibition American Indian and Eskimo Arts and Grafts. An 

 article on Ralph Earl was published in Antiques Journal by Rowland 

 Lyon. Staff members served as jurors for local art exhibitions and 

 lectured on the collection. 



A survey concerning tlie development of the collection was com- 

 pleted by John Kerr. Special services with reference to cataloging 

 were performed by Keyes Porter. Delight Hall prepared a text on the 

 Alice Pike Barney Memorial Collection and began an inventory of 

 the paintings. The inventory was completed by Jean Lawton. A 

 survey of art in Government buildings was undertaken by Miss Hall, 

 but was interrupted by the unfortunate accident which caused her 

 death. 



Henri G. Courtais restored and repaired the following paintings: 



John Oellatly, by Irving R. Wiles (1861-1948) ; Lord Mulgrave, by Thomas 

 Gainsborough (1727-1788) ; Mary Hopl;ins(m, by Benjamin West (1738-1820) ; 

 Edinburffh—A Painting of l^unlight and Air, by Joseph M. W. Turner (1775- 

 1851) ; Water Carriers, Venice, by Frank Duveneck (184)^1919) ; Joseph Head, 

 by Gilbert Stuart (1755-1828) ; Madonna and Child with St. John and an Angel, 



