TJic Ccncsis of the United States Nalioiial Miiscu))i. 113 



the substitute which was proposed only a few hours before the final 

 action, and that when the election of the first Secretary was held, Francis 

 Markoe, jr. , who had been for six years Secretary of the National Insti- 

 tution and was more than anyone else perhaps identified with its inter- 

 ests, received four \-otes against seven cast for Professor Henry. Doctor 

 Charles Pickering, the Curator of the National Institution, also received 

 one vote. 



The term "curator," as applied to an officer in charge of the national 

 collections, then came into u.se for the first time. 



THE NATIONAL CABINET OP CURIOSITIES. 



The formation of a "national museum" was one of the professed 

 objects of Poinsett and his associates in the National Institution, but it 

 does not appear that they ever dignified with that name their collections, 

 which were usually modestly referred to as constituting the "cabinet"' 

 of the Institution, both in the constitution and in the proceedings of the 

 society. 



In the Hough bill for the organization of the Smithsonian Institution 

 in 1846, the collection in the Patent Office was officially designated as the 

 National Cabinet of Curiosities, a name which, though never in general 

 use, is very appropriate and convenient for use in designating t-ie assem- 

 blage of miscellaneous objects for a time exhibited in the Patent Office 

 building. 



From 1847 to 1851, however, there was no use of the term National 

 Museum, the collections of natural history which were accumulating 

 under the care of Professor Baird constituting for the time being the 

 " Museum of the Smithsonian Institution." 



The National Cabinet of Curiosities, carrying with it a certain official 

 atmosphere, as well as an annual appropriation, was, however, one of the 

 parents of the greater establishment yet to come. Of its marriage with 

 the Smithsonian Museum, the National Museum of the United States was 

 the offspring. 



The Smithsonian cabinet of minerals and meteorites was, as we have 

 seen, the first scientific collection wdiicli belonged to the United States, 

 coming into the custody of Mr. Rush in June, 1838. 



' In 1 790 a law was passed by Congress ' ' to promote the progress of science and 

 the tiseful arts by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive 

 right to their respective writings and discoveries." [Sec. vill, par. viii.] 



In this was gathered a collection of models, which was sometimes by courtesy 

 called " The American Museum of Arts," but which had no title to the name either 

 by law or by courtesy. This was destroyed by fire December 15, 1836. 



In "An act to promote the progress of the useful arts, etc.," approved July 4, 1836, 

 provision was made for the preservation and display, under the charge of the Com- 

 missioner of Patents, not only of models, but of "specimens of compositions and of 

 "fabrics and other manufactures and works of art." [Sec.xx.] 



NAT MUS 97, PT 2 8 



