304 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



The anticipations of Henry and Baiid were fully met. In the report 

 for the centennial year Professor Baird wrote : 



At no period iu the history of the National Museum, from the time when it was 

 organized to the present, has the increase been so great as during the year 1876. i 



After referring to the accessions from the Government exhibits, he 

 remarks : 



In addition, however, to the sources of increase to the Museum during the years 

 1875 and 1876, mentioned above, still another presented itself of perhaps even greater 

 productiveness, viz, acquisitions from foreign exhibits. With scarcely an exception, 

 the best and most important of these were presented to the United States at the 

 close of the exhibition, embracing as they did many complete series of objects illus- 

 trating the geology, metallurgy, the ethnology, and the general resources of all 

 nations. Of about forty governments and colonies, the choicest of the exhibits of 

 thirty-four were presented to the Smithsonian Institution for the National Museum, 

 the remainder either having nothing to give or being restricted in the disposal of 

 their articles. 



It was, however, not from foreign commissions alone that collections were received 

 by the Institution. Several entire State exhibits and many belonging to private 

 parties were also added to the general increase. Nevada, Montana, and Utah pre- 

 sented the whole of their mineral exhibits, while partial collections were received 

 from several other States and Territories. 



The Eegents of the Institution submitted a memorial to Congress the 

 same year (1876) asking an appropriation of $250,000 for a building for 

 the National Museum. A bill was introduced, but failed of passage 

 that year, and it was not until 1879 that the amount asked for was 

 provided. 



As soon as the law was enacted a building commission appointed by 

 the Kegents of the Institution was organized, consisting of the resident 

 members of the executive committee of the Institution (Hon. Peter 

 Parker and Gen. W. T. Sherman) and Secretary Baird. General Sher- 

 man was chosen as chairman and Gen. M. C. Meigs was invited to act 

 as consulting engineer. 



The commission selected the firm of Cluss & Schulze, whose design 

 for the building had been approved by Congress, as superintending 

 architects, and received the benefit of the advice of Mr. Edward Clarke, 

 Architect of the Capitol. 



The erection of the building was begun April 17, 1879, and completed 

 iu 1881. In design the structure is of the type commonly employed for 

 exhibition buildings, being entirely open above the ground floor. It 

 covers a space of 2 J acres. On account of the relatively small amount 

 appropriated for the building and the enormous gTowth of the national 

 collections, it was necessary to use building materials of low cost and 

 to cover in as much space as possible. The building is regarded as 

 one of the cheapest of its size ever erected. While admirably adapted 

 in most respects for the purpose for which it was built, it does not, of 

 course, present, either externally or internally, an appearance as pleas- 



1 Smithsonian Report, 1876, page 38. 



