48 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1924 



otic citizens have contributed to the Nation and for the still richer 

 contributions that may be confidently expected when a gallery build- 

 ing worthy of the Nation is provided. The need of an additional 

 building in the Smithsonian group is strongly emphasized by the 

 fact that this building when completed will be called upon to 

 accommodate not only the arts of painting, sculpture, architecture, 

 and all the other arts in which the esthetic is a dominant feature 

 but the extensive collections of the department of American history 

 which now encroach so lamentably on the space rightfully claimed 

 by the scientific departments of geology, anthropology, archeology, 

 and natural history. 



The recent introduction in the United States Senate by Senator 

 Lodge of an amendment to the deficiency apj)ropriations bill pro- 

 viding for a gallery building gives gratifying assurance of the 

 awakening of public interest in national art. The amendment of- 

 fered is as follows : 



To enable the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution to commence the erec- 

 tion of a suitable fireproof building with granite fronts for the National Gal- 

 lery of Art, including the National Portrait Gallery and the history collections 

 of the United States National Museum, on the north side of the Mall between 

 the Natural History Building and Seventh Street, $2,500,000: Provided, That 

 the total cost of said building complete, including heating and ventilation ap- 

 paratus and elevators, shall not exceed $7,000,000. 



Among the agencies engaged in promoting the gallery's interests 

 the American Federation of Arts has taken a leading place. The 

 task of arousing the people to a realization of the backwardness of 

 the art side of American culture development is intrusted to the 

 360 chapters of the Federation distributed widely throughout the 

 States. In like manner illustrated lectures have been widely pre- 

 sented, two sets of colored lantern slides illustrating the gallery 

 collections being in extended use, one under the auspices of the Fed- 

 eration of Arts and the other of the Federation of Women's Clubs. 

 Radio broadcasting has also been utilized with good effect. 



NATIONAL GALLERY COMMISSION 



The third annual meeting of the National Gallery Commission was 

 held in the regents' room of the Smithsonian Institution, December 

 11, 1923, the following members being present: Herbert Adams, W. 

 K. Bixby, Joseph H. Gest, John E. Lodge, Gari Melchers, Charles 

 Moore, James Parmelee, Charles D. Walcott, and William H. 

 Holmes. 



The secretary of the commission presented a report on the activi- 

 ties of the gallery for the year and reports of the standing and 

 special committees followed. 



