AN ACCOUNT OF THE U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM. 301 



of mercury, and by means of whiclithe first distinct recognition of this 

 elementary substance was effected." ^ 



This event produced results affecting the Museum in many ways. It 

 called attention to the fact that the library of the Institution was kept 

 in rooms not fireproof, and the transfer of the books to the Library of 

 Congress was hastened, the space being subsequently occupied by the 

 less valuable portions of the natural history collections. By the destruc- 

 tion of the Stanley portraits of Indians, which, though really an ethno- 

 logical collection and only on deposit in the Institution, formed an 

 important part of what (with frequent apologies) was called "the 

 gallery of art," the attempts to form an art collection of merit received 

 discouragement. The reconstruction of the building, made necessary 

 by the fire, led to a new assignment of rooms for the ethnological col- 

 lections. Previous to the fire the upper story had been used principally 

 as a lecture room, but the interest in lectures flagging for a time it was 

 determined after the reconstruction to place the ethnological collections 

 in that portion of the building, but the transfer was not effected until 

 several years later. 



Though the formation of an arfgallery was provided for in the organi- 

 zation of the Institution and a few art objects came into the possession 

 of the Government from time to time, Professor Henry took the posi- 

 tion at an early day that with the funds available the establishment 

 of an art collection worthy of the name was impossible. When Mr. 

 W. W. Corcoran first took active steps toward the formation of the Cor- 

 coran Art Gallery, in 1869, Henry recommended that art objects 

 belonging to the Institution should be deposited therein. In 1873 the 

 Board of Eegents approved the plan, and in the following year a few 

 paintings, sculptures, and engravings were transferred. 



In the early days of the Institution the valuable collection of engrav- 

 ings made by Hon. George P. Marsh w^as purchased (the only large 

 purchase by the Institution in the direction of art), and soon after the 

 fire in the Smithsonian building it was transferred to the Library of 

 Congress. 



By 1874, therefore, the Institution had definitely abandoned all 

 efforts toward the establishment of an art gallery, and though some 

 few objects connected with the fine arts have come under its care in 

 later years, they have never been assembled so as to form a proper 

 " gallery." 



In 1871 Congress established the United States Fish Commission and 

 Professor Baird was placed at its head. The organization of the Com- 

 mission on this basis had a most important effect upon the development 

 of the National Museum in certain directions. The work of the Com- 

 mission had to do largely with the natural history of fish and other 

 aquatic animals, and in the course of a few years very large collections 



' Smithaouian Report, 1865, page 18. 



