20 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1899. 



This hall was until recently occupied for lecture purposes. Its 

 permanent assignment to the Division of Ethnology has enabled the 

 curators to place on exhibition a large body of material not heretofore 

 shown. 



The North West Range contains exhibits from the northwest coast 

 Indian tribes and the Eskimo. The only change made during the year 

 had to do with the reinstallation of collections, especially the larger 

 objects, the aim being to enhance the general effect of the hall. The 

 removal of the long-coiled radiators which formerly occupied the 

 floor along the entire west side, and the substitution of a continuous 

 line of cases, was accomplished during the previous year and added 

 greatly to the capacity and effect of the hall. 



The geographical order of the exhibits and the peoples represented 

 are kept in mind. In passing from Alcove VIII of the West North 

 Range, where the Yukon-Mackenzie province is shown, are encountered 

 at the north end of the hall a large group of exhibits illustrating the 

 Northwest Coast peoples. These occupy the north and west walls, 

 parts of the east and south walls, and a number of floor cases. Eskimo 

 collections fill most of the floor cases toward the south, and the wall 

 cases and wall spaces in the east and south. In the window spaces are 

 a line of transparencies, the views relating mainly to the peoples 

 represented in the collections of the hall. 



The North West Court, which contains the series of exhibits from 

 the Pueblo tribes of the arid region of the Southwest, has received 

 much attention during the year. Doctor Fewkcs has arranged an 

 extensive series of Tusayan vases on the west side and Mrs. Steven- 

 son has installed a case illustrating the use of prayer sticks by the 

 Pueblo tribes. The collection of modern pottery has been overhauled 

 and a series of unit boxes containing baskets, textile products, cere- 

 monial objects, etc. , has been placed on top of the wall case surrounding 

 the hall. 



The Gallery of the North West Court has not yet been opened to the 

 public. The new wall case was finished about the close of the year 

 and the installation of collections from Mexico and Central and South 

 America has been commenced. The case on the west and north sides 

 of the gallery is temporarily occupied by the very extensive collection 

 of l)asketry which Professor Mason is engaged in studying. 



West Hall is occupied mainly by collections illustrating the various 

 peoples of Europe, Asia, and Africa. These have been partially rein- 

 stalled during the year. The gallery on the north side has been fur- 

 nished with alcoved wall cases, and collections from the Indo-Pacific 

 have been placed in them. The work of installation is not yet com- 

 plete. Professor Mason has prepared a great number of labels during 

 the year and many of these have been typewritten and placed with the 



