6 EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1902. 



Washington, as well as new methods of installing and exhibiting 

 museum materials, differing radicalW from the older cabinets of col- 

 lege or local museums, which had prevailed up to that period. After 

 its olose the Government exhibits brought Isack to Washington, 

 together with the extensive gifts made to the United States b}" private 

 persons and foreign governments, rendered necessarv the early erec- 

 tion of a new and separate building, devoted entirely to nniseum 

 purposes. Since that time Congress has mainly provided for the 

 maintenance of the Museum, but its management remains, by the 

 fundamental act, under the authority of the Regents of the Smithson- 

 ian Institution, administered through their Secretary, who is e.e officio 

 the keeper — a form of government insuring a consistent and uniform 

 polic}'^ and a nonpartisan administration of its affairs. The greater 

 part of the Smithsonian building is still used for museum purposes, 

 and the Institution, as well as most of the scientilic bureaus at Wash- 

 ington, cooperate, both through men and material, in enlarg-ing and 

 caring for the national collections. 



The scope of the National Museum as defined l^y law com]5rises 

 practically all branches of science and of the arts which admit of 

 museum treatment. With exceedingly limited means for making pur- 

 chases, and tlierefore almost entire!}" dependent as to the character 

 of its collections upon Government explorations, personal donations, 

 and exchanges, its different departments have had a very unequal 

 growth. The subjects best represented are American ethnology 

 and archaeology, geology, zoolog}", and botany. A fair beginning 

 has been made in the exceedingly important branches of the industrial 

 arts and American history, and scarcely more is required to place 

 these two departments on a proper basis than sufficient room to display 

 the necessary collections, which are certain to be received, in greater 

 part through gratuitous contriljutions, when it is known that the 

 Museum is prepared to care for them. In the department of the fine 

 arts the collection is still very small, but the subject is one which 

 must sooner or later receive (^arncst consideration bv the Government. 



The specimens in all In-anchesare classified in two series; one, com- 

 prising the bidk of the material, })eing arranged for the purposes of 

 scientific research and reference in l!il)oratori(\s and storerooms, to 

 which students ar(^. freely admitted: the other, selected with regard 

 to their general educational value and pu))lic interest, and accompanied 

 by descriptive labels, ])eing displayed in glass-covered cases in the 

 public halls. The duplicate specimens not required for exchanges 

 are made up into sets for distribution to schools and colleges, as 

 opportunity offers. Papers descriptive of the collections, both tech- 

 nical and popular, are published for gratuitous circulation to the 

 extent of three or more volumes 3'early, and, finally, the Museum 

 has come to be regarded as a bureau of information in respect to all 



