52 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 195 2 



closet, bookcases, specimen cases, instrument cases, microscope table, 

 and examining table were built and installed to meet the specifications 

 of the associate in technical research. 



Eight new exhibition cases are under construction, and miscella- 

 neous odd jobs in care of office and Gallery equipment, crating, etc., 

 continue as usual. 



ATTENDANCE 



The Gallery was open to the public from 9 to 4 : 30 every day except 

 Christmas Day. The total number of visitors to come in the main 

 entrance was 74,940. The highest monthly attendance was in August, 

 10,714, and the lowest was in December, 2,507. There were 1,498 

 visitors to the office during the year. 



HERZFELD ARCHIVE 



Mrs. Charlotte Bradford, sister of the late Ernst Herzfeld, pre- 

 sented to the Herzfeld Archive further manuscripts and notes pre- 

 pared by Professor Herzfeld. The Herzfeld material continues to 

 be used by experts in Near Eastern archeology throughout the world. 



STAFF ACTIVITIES 



The work of the staff members has been devoted to the study of 

 new accessions, of objects contemplated for purchase, and of objects 

 submitted for examination, as well as to individual research projects 

 in the fields represented by the collections of Chinese, Japanese, 

 Persian, Arabic, and Indian materials. Keports, oral or written, and 

 exclusive of those made by the laboratory which are listed below, 

 were made upon 4,385 objects as follows: belonging to private in- 

 dividuals, 1,749; belonging to dealers, 485; belonging to other 

 museums, 2,151. In all, 654 photographs of objects were examined 

 and 504 oriental language inscriptions were translated for outside 

 individuals and institutions. By request 10 groups totaling 357 per- 

 sons met in the exhibition galleries for docent service by staff mem- 

 bers; and 2 groups totaling 24 persons were given docent service in 

 the study-storage rooms. 



With the completion of the technical research laboratory and 

 the appointment of Rutherford J. Gettens as associate in technical 

 research, a new phase of Gallery activity was inaugurated. Its 

 purpose is to carry on a continuing investigation of the methods 

 and materials used by the artists and craftsmen in the ancient civili- 

 zations represented by objects in the Gallery collections. The labora- 

 tory was ready for occupancy in March, and Mr. Gettens carried out 

 the installation of new equipment and materials, including a large 



