REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 37 



American colonial room, presented to the Museum b"y Mrs. Gertrude 

 D. Ritter, of Washington, D. C. This collection includes wall panel- 

 ing, furniture, chinaware, glassware, pewter ware, pictures, textiles, 

 and miscellaneous objects. The wall paneling, made of American 

 pine carved with plain designs and fastened with pegs, was taken 

 intact from the old Bliss homestead located at Springfield, Mass., and 

 includes a corner cupboard of three shelves with original glass dooi-s 

 and hinges and latches of wrought iron. In the cupboard and on 

 the tables are shown the china, glass, and pewter ware belonging to 

 the exhibit. The china includes an exceptionally beautiful bowl of 

 Chinese Lowestoft and a child's tea set of the same ware, a helmet 

 pitcher, and a number of pieces of luster ware of more than usual 

 interest. The glassware includes several pieces of Stiegel ware, a 

 number of plain glass mugs of antique design, a glass pitcher, and a 

 number of glass bottles of rare types. The collection of pewter in- 

 cludes plates, mugs, coii'ee pots, pepper and salt shakers, dishes, 

 sirup mug, and basin. This collection is unique in character and its 

 presentation marks an epoch in the development of the collections of 

 this type in the National Museum. It is the donor's intention to 

 add to this collection until the furnishings of an entire colonial home 

 have thus been assembled. These will be exhibited as a unit in a 

 house of colonial style to be erected for the purpose in proximity to 

 the present group of museum buildings. 



To the collection of costumes of the ladies of the Wliite House, 

 which has for a number of years attracted so much public attention, 

 were added two costumes of great interest. One of these is a white 

 satin evening gown worn by Mrs. Warren G. Harding during the 

 administration of her husband. President Warren G. Harding, 1921- 

 1923, the gift of Mrs. Harding. The other is a gray silk dress worn 

 by Mrs. Benjamin Harrison at the inaugural ball in 1889 on the 

 occasion of the inauguration of her husband. President Benjamin 

 Harrison, and donated by Mi-s. James R. McKee, of New York City. 

 Both these costumes were acquired by the Museum through the gen- 

 erous cooperation of Mrs. Rose G. Hoes. 



The biographical collections were increased by the gift of a pair 

 of silver-mounted flintlock pistols with leather holsters which were 

 owned during the War of the Revolution by Maj. Gen. Charles Lee, 

 of the Continental Army; a sword, a pair of pistols, and a pair of 

 epaulets owned during the same period by Maj. Jacob Morris, and a 

 number of other relics of less importance. These were presented to 

 the Museum by Victor Morris through the Wisconsin Society of 

 the Colonial Dames of America. Three silver camp cups owned 

 during the Revolution by Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne were lent by 

 Mrs. M. W. Stroud. A gold locket containing a lock of the hair 



