10 ANIsrXJAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1954 



horse open sleigh of the Colonial period and the inaugural gown of 

 Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower. 



Members of the staff conducted field work in Thailand, Venezuela, 

 Panama, Caroline Islands, Fiji, Mexico, and many parts of the United 

 States. Several studied collections in European museums. 



Good progress was made in the Museum's program of exhibit mod- 

 ernization, and one new hall, "Highlights of Latin American Archeol- 

 ogy," was opened to the public. 



Bureau of American Ethnology. — The Bureau staff continued their 

 ethnological research and publication : Dr. Stirling his studies of Pan- 

 amanian archeology, Dr. Collins his activities in the Arctic, Dr. Har- 

 rington his work on certain California Indians, and Dr. Drucker his 

 investigations relatinc: to the Indians of southern Mexico and of the 

 northwest coast of North America. Dr. Roberts continued as Director 

 of the Eiver Basin Surveys. 



Astrophysical Observatory. — Work on two major publication proj- 

 ects was completed during the year — Volume 7 of the Annals of the 

 Astrophysical Observatory and the ninth revised edition of the Smith- 

 sonian Physical Tables. Contract work with the OflBce of the Quar- 

 termaster General, in progress for about 8 years, was terminated on 

 September 30. Solar-radiation studies were continued at the Observa- 

 tory's two field stations — Table Mountain in California and Mount 

 Montezuma in Chile. In the division of radiation and organisms im- 

 portant studies were made on the factors involved in photomorpho- 

 genesis, the process by which light exerts its formative efi'ect on higher 

 green plants. 



National Collection of Fine Arts. — The Smithsonian Art Commis- 

 sion met on December 1, 1953, and accepted 4 oil paintings, 1 water- 

 color, 4 miniatures, 3 bronzes, and 7 ceramic pieces. An addition of 

 $5,000 was made to the Barney fund. The Gallery held 12 special 

 exhibitions during the year. The Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition 

 Service circulated 51 exhibitions, 46 in the United States and Canada 

 and 5 abroad. 



Freer Gallery of Art. — Purchases for the collections of the Freer 

 Gallery included Chinese bronzes, jade, painting, pottery, and sculp- 

 ture; Japanese painting; Persian metal work, painting, and pottery; 

 Syrian metalwork ; Arabic painting, Indian painting, and Egyptian 

 painting; and Mesopotamian and Turkish pottery. A series of illus- 

 trated lectures by distinguished art scholars, on subjects germane to 

 the Gallery's activities, was given in the auditorium. 



National Air Museum. — Progress was made in transporting the 

 stored collections of the Museum from Park Ridge, 111., to Suitland, 

 Md. The Museum participated in the celebration of the Golden 

 Anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight, and a special exhibit 

 in connection therewith was installed. For its aeronautical collections 



