580 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1925 



control of the Regents of the Institution. Great buildings have been 

 provided by the Government for the Museum, and it now receives 

 direct support from Congress. This Museum has now the material 

 belonging to the original Institution collected by the Smithsonian's 

 own observers, together Avith much more secured through the Gen- 

 eral Government, making in all almost 10,000,000 specimens. These 

 constitute the foremost collection in the world in eveiything that 

 relates to the natural history, ethnology, geology, and paleontology 

 of the United States, besides containing many valuable series in 

 all these sciences from other countries. The collections have been 

 visited by over 20,000,000 persons and the Institution has carried 

 selections of its specimens to every large exhibition held in the 

 United States, and distributed over 1,000,000 specimens to colleges 

 and academies, thus powerfully stimulating the growth of museums 

 large and small in every section of the country. 



THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 



In the year 1846, in the act of organization of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, the Congress of the United States directed the formation 

 of a gallery of art for the Nation. Even at a somewhat earlier date 

 it gave encouragement to such a project by granting an act of in- 

 corporation to a private society, whose collections were eventually to 

 be ceded to the United States. The assembling of art objects under 

 the chartered association began in 1840, and under the specific pro- 

 vision for a gallery in 1849. The two collections were united in 1862, 

 since whicli time the subject of art as a museum feature under the 

 Government has continued in charge of the Smithsonian Institution, 

 in accordance with the terms of its establishment in 1846. 



Mrs. Harriet Lane Johnston, niece of President Buchanan, and 

 mistress of the White House during his term of office, assembled at 

 her home in Washington a small collection mainly of paintings, in- 

 cluding exam])les of the work of several distinguished masters, 

 which, upon her decease in 1903, it was found had been bequeathed 

 to the National Gallery of Art when one should be established by 

 the GoA^ernment. In ignorance of the fact that the necessary means 

 for carrying out her wishes weie already in existence, Mrs. Johnston 

 named a temporary custodian, but under conditions that were not 

 acceptable. In a friendly suit which followed to settle some doubt- 

 ful clauses in the testament, it was decreed by the Supreme Court of 

 the District of Columbia that the collection of art contemplated in 

 the act of establishment of the Smithsonian Institution was, within 

 the meaning and intent of the law, the National Gallery of Art. 

 The collection of Harriet Lane Johnston was accordingly awarded 

 to the Institution, and was received at the beginning of August, 1906. 



