36 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1953 



MAINTENANCE OF THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS 



The usual work in connection with the care and maintenance of the 

 building and its mechanical equipment and the grounds was continued 

 throughout the year. Flowering and foliage plants grown in the 

 moats were used in the garden courts. 



In order to provide additional storage space for the Publications 

 Office, a new concrete floor was laid in an unfinished area at the west 

 end of the ground floor. 



A partition, stainless steel sink, and print washer were installed in 

 one of the darkrooms of the photographers' laboratory in order to 

 increase the efficiency of that department. 



The elevators were inspected by a representative of the District 

 government, and also by a representative of the Hartford Accident & 

 Indemnity Co., and found to be in good mechanical condition. 



The high-tension switchgear, together with the safety relays and 

 protective devices, was examined and tested by the Potomac Electric 

 Power Co. 



Refrigeration machine No. 4 was thoroughly checked and the neces- 

 sary adjustments made in order that it would be in first-class operating 

 condition when the heavy summer load of air-conditioning would be 

 placed upon it. 



With funds appropriated for the purpose, a contract was entered 

 into with the Woithington Corp. for the replacement of three refrig- 

 eration machines. Two of the machines were in operation by June 

 23, 1953, and the work of installing the third machine is now under 

 way. 



OTHER ACTIVITIES 



A total of 38 Sunday evening concerts were given during the fiscal 

 year 1953 in the West Garden Court. The National Gallery Or- 

 chestra, conducted by Richard Bales, played nine concerts at the Gal- 

 lery with additional performances at the United States Naval 

 Academy at Annapolis, Md., and in the Corcoran Gallery of Art. 

 Two of the orchestral concerts at the National Gallery were made 

 possible by the Music Perfonnance Trust Fund of the American Fed- 

 eration of Musicians. During April, May, and June, seven Sunday 

 evenings were devoted to the Gallery's Tenth American Music Festi- 

 val. Thirty-two compositions by thirty-one American composers 

 were played. Most of the concerts were broadcast in their entirety 

 by Station WCFM, Washington, and the Continental Network. A 

 new feature of the series was the addition of the Church of the Ref- 

 ormation Cantata Choir to the National Gallery Orchestra at two 

 concerts which presented both classical and contemporary composers. 



The photographic laboratory of the Gallery produced 14,013 prints, 

 402 black-and-white slides, 1,156 color slides, and 127 color trans- 



