306 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



able to secure for the United States Fish Commission and tlie National 

 Museum the Emperor's prize for the highest excellence of display. Not 

 satisfied with this recognition, and always aiming to advance, he 

 endeavored to install the exhibits of the Institution and Museum at 

 later foreign and domestic exhibitions, in accordance with the best 

 museum methods. As a result the exhibits of the Institution always 

 won high praise, and it is not too much to say that the work of the 

 National Museum in this direction has had a powerful influence in 

 revolutionizing exhibition methods itt America. 



Since the Centennial Exhibition of 187G few years have passed in 

 which the Museum has not been engaged in preparing for public expo- 

 sition of greater or less magnitude. It made displays at London in 

 1883, at Louisville in 1884, at Minneapolis in 1887, Cincinnati and 

 Marietta in 1888, at Madrid in 1892, at Chicago in 1893, and at Atlanta 

 in 1895. As might naturally be expected, the necessity of carrying 

 on exhibition work outside of Washington has affected the National 

 Museum in many ways. 



Probably no other great permanent museum in the world has had 

 constantly before it the problem of guarding its treasures from deteri- 

 oration and at the same time transporting no inconsiderable portion 

 of them thousands of miles and displaying them under the ordinarily 

 unfavorable surroundings of temporary exhibitions. The advantages 

 lie in the direction of making the work of the Museum known to the 

 people of the Eepublic and the world at large and securing new objects 

 with which to fill out the deficiencies in its various collections. The 

 disadvantages are found in damage done to objects in the collections, 

 by breakage or otherwise, the interruption of the regular Museum 

 work, and the dissipation of the energies of the scientific officers; for 

 a museum, like any other permanent institution, requires abundant 

 time and uninterrupted activity for its best development, and does not 

 flourish in the midst of commotion and excitement. 



Thus far I have considered the National Museum in its historical 

 aspects. It remains to explain briefly its function and aims and to 

 mention the most notable objects in its collections. 



It will be perceived, from the statements already made, that the 

 Museum is essentially a natural development springing from the activi- 

 ties of the Government, growing with their growth and expanding with 

 their expansion. It had its origin in the great naval exploring expedi- 

 tion which the Government organized in the early part of the century, 

 and found an important expansion in the long series of topographical 

 surveys of the public domain and geological surveys of later years. 

 The scientific investigation of the primary industries — agriculture, 

 fisheries, and mining — by the Government have also resulted in large 

 additions to the Museum. Finally, the desire on the part of the Govern- 

 ment that the people should gain abetter understanding of its practical 

 workings, through representative displays of processes and objects in 



