SECRETARY'S REPORT 35 



the 68th annual meeting of the American Society for Engineering 

 Education at Purdue University and presented a paper on "Kine- 

 matics of Mechanisms from tlie Time of Watt." 



In connection with planned halls in the new Museum of History 

 and Teclinology, Edwin A. Battison, associate curator of mechanical 

 and civil engineering, visited various watch factories, collections, 

 and individuals throughout the northeastern States. He examined 

 many chronometers and watches as well as certain historical instru- 

 ments with a view to acquiring material and information for the 

 Institution. 



During the year Eobeii;. M. Vogel, assistant curator of mechanical 

 and civil engineering, made several trips throughout the north- 

 eastern States in connection with the exhibits in the new Smithsonian 

 Hall of Engineering. He examined a large quantity of mechanical 

 equipment including elevators, engines, railroads and other means 

 of transportation and made many contacts with interested individuals 

 and developed plans for the acquisition of desired specimens for the 

 new hall. 



In the continuing development of a program for the construction 

 of models for the new Museum of History and Technology, Howard 

 I. Chapelle, curator of transportation, spent May 16-24 visiting indi- 

 viduals and model manufacturers throughout the northeastern States. 

 Included were such public organizations as the Museum of the City 

 of New York and the New Bedford \^^laling Museum, where he in- 

 spected builders' models of ships. 



Jolm H. White, Jr., assistant curator of transportation, made trips 

 to several eastern States where he visited institutions, libraries, and 

 individuals to examine historic locomotives and models and other 

 railroad equipment, as well as catalogs and documents. 



During the year W. James King, Jr., acting curator of electricity, 

 visited various museums and libraries throughout the eastern States, 

 primarily in connection with Smithsonian study collections and the 

 proposed new Hall of Electricity. He studied collections in telephone 

 communications, the various aspects of telegraphy and electronic 

 equipment, and the history of electrical technology and engineering. 



Dr. John B. Blake, curator of medical sciences, made several short 

 trips to examine historic medical instruments and X-ray apparatus 

 with a view to enlarging and improving the Smithsonian collections 

 in this field. Between March 30 and May 15, he visited numerous 

 museums, universities, and other institutions in Great Britain, Hol- 

 land, France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, 

 principally those containing objects pertaining to medical history. 

 The historical medical museums in London, especially the Wellcome 

 Historical Medical Museum, and in Zurich, Kome, Copenhagen, and 



