REPORT OF THE SECRETABY 45 



THE ABNEY BEQUEST 



Doctor Abbot made the following statement: Under the will of 

 Mrs. Mary Lloyd Pendleton Abney, of Ncav York, dated May 16, 

 1928, the following bequest is made : 



Clause — 



Seventh. To the National Gallery, at Washiugton, D. C, heretofore known 

 as the Corcoran Gallery, I give and bequeath the four Key family portraits 

 said to have been painted by Peter Lilly and Godfrey Kneller, to wit, portraits 

 of Mrs. John Zouch (Lady Zouch) ; Michael Arnold; Ann Arnold, wife of 

 Michael Arnold and daughter of Thomas Knipe; and Susan Gardner, the 

 mother of John Ross ; and I give and bequeath also the portrait of Mary 

 Tayloe Lloyd, wife of my grandfather, Francis Scott Key, painted by Godfrey 

 Kneller, and her miniature, painted by Robert Field ; the Key table, and two 

 chairs which were used by Francis Scott Key ; the Lloyd mahogany table and 

 four old chairs and old knocker from the Francis Scott Key house, which was 

 at Georgetown, by the Arlington Bridge, now known as the Key Bridge. * * * 



(Note by the executrix: Mrs. Abney, while living donated and delivered to 

 others the furniture mentioned in clause 7, and the " old knocker " was not 

 found among her effects.) 



[Doctor Abbot, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, has been 

 informed by Mrs. Jane F. Brice, the sister and executrix of Mrs. 

 Abney, that the Corcoran Gallery has executed waiver to any right 

 it might have to the bequest, and the matter was presented by her 

 to the director of the National Gallery, with the oral request, by 

 her husband, to have the National Gallery also execute a waiver of 

 its rights. 



The matter was laid before the permanent committee of the Board 

 of Regents. Having in mind the probable value and interest of the 

 objects, both from the artistic and historical standpoints, and in 

 view of the national character of the gallery, the committee did not 

 feel that on the ex parte statements of the executrix, who is also 

 the residuary legatee under the will, they could waive any rights 

 that the gallery might have, without a proper adjudication of the 

 matter, and so informed Mrs. Brice. The matter is now before the 

 court.] 



THE RANGER COLLECTION 



At the request of the chairman, James E. Eraser read a report 

 that had been made to the council of the National Academy regard- 

 ing the selection of the Ranger pictures to be retained by the 

 National Gallery. 



After full discussion in which it developed that the commission 

 was not to be asked to take any official action, Mr. Gest submitted 

 the following resolution, which was adopted : 



Resolved, That the thanks of the commission be tendered Mr. Fraser for his 

 comprehensive statement and that the paper be included in the records of this 

 meeting as a matter of informatiou. 



