36 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1925 



Auken, Watervliet, N. Y. Tlie signal section of the American Rail- 

 way Association added to its series of specimens, showing develop- 

 ments in railway signaling, IG objects that indicate some of the 

 early efforts in block signaling. The Buda Co., of Harvey, 111., pre- 

 sented a full-size gasoline automobile engine operated by an elec- 

 tric motor specially arranged for exhibition. By pressing a but- 

 ton it ma}'^ be put in operation, thus permitting study of many of 

 the working parts in action. Mr. Henry Ford presented a specially 

 prepared exhibit of the planetary transmission used in the Ford 

 tiutomobile. As this is one of the distinctive types of automobile 

 transmissions it will form an interesting part of an exhibit now 

 under way designed to illustrate the various fundamental units com- 

 posing the automobile. 



The Portland Cement Association, of Chicago, 111., through its 

 local office, presented a full-size photographic copy, suitably framed, 

 of the original patent on Portland cement granted by King George 

 III to Joseph Aspdin in 1824. The presentation of this interesting 

 paper was made in the presence of about 12 officials representing 

 various departments of the Government interested in Portland 

 cement and was accepted on behalf of the Museum by Secretary 

 Walcott. The framed copy now hangs in close proximity to the 

 exhibit on Portland cement in the division of mineral technology. 



The collections under the supervision of the curator of textiles, 

 which, besides textiles, embrace wood technology, foods, animal 

 products, organic chemistry, and medicine, Avere increased by many 

 gifts and by transfer of material from other Government bureaus, 

 amounting in all to over 8,800 objects. A statement concerning the 

 most important of these follows : 



Series of industrial specimens illustrating many branches of 

 rubber manufacture, the manufacture of sealing wax, and a model 

 showing the preparation and dyeing of furs were added to the 

 collections from the field of industrial chemistry. The textile col- 

 lections were increased by gifts of fibers, yarns, silk and cotton 

 dress and drapery fabrics, wool fabrics, mohair plushes, and machine 

 embroideries; also many examples of modern handicraft. To the 

 collections arranged to show the importance of wood and the indus- 

 tries based thereon were added veneered panels of wood used in 

 the furniture industry, showing the different kinds of finishes used, 

 a series of specimens demonstrating the manufacture of lead pencils, 

 and a large timber of Douglas fir to represent an important product 

 of the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The collections added to 

 the division of medicine were chiefly in the field of public health, 

 and consisted of models and posters showing advances in sanitary 

 science. Specimens of materia medica and numerous objects asso- 



