I 



REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 27 



room. During" the 3"ear the work of segregating- various exhibition 

 units has been oontiiuied, l)ut it is not deemed advisa])le to begin the 

 radical change of installation so manifestly called for until extensive 

 improvements are made in the hall. 



Mr. A. H. Clark, honorary custodian of the Section of American 

 History, states that vei'v satisfactory progress has been made in the 

 care of the collections of that section. Additional cases have been 

 introduced into the north hall and the rotunda, and various rearrange- 

 ments of cases and exhil)its have been made. The contents of man}' 

 cases have been reclassified and installation has been perfected. The 

 superb collection of personal relics of Admiral George Dewey, depos- 

 ited during the year, has been installed in eases near the Museum 

 entrance. Daring the year it has been necessary to send numerous 

 exhibits to storage. Increased exhibition room for this section is 

 very much needed. 



A complete reinstallation of the exhibits included in the Division of 

 Medicine has been made during the year by the honorary- curator, 

 Medical Director J. M. Flint, United States Navy. The cases have 

 been arranged in alcove style, thus giving a passageway of proper 

 width along the gallery. Included with the collections of this division 

 are two cases containing exhibits designed to illustrate the composi- 

 tion of the human body. 



Noteworthy improvements have been made in the installation of the 

 Section of Graphic Arts. Mr. Paul Brockett has conducted this work 

 under the immediate supervision of the head curator. Two cases have 

 been added, one containing series of exhibits illustrating the history 

 of the book, and the other, examples of modern binding; the latter 

 exhibit is lent b}^ Miss E. R. Scidmore. 



The Section of Ceramics has been assigned to the northeast court 

 gallery, which has been fitted up with excellent cases. Early in the 

 year the collections of ceramics, glass, lacquer, bronze, etc., Avere 

 installed here by the head curator, the arrangement being primarily 

 by countries and secondarily by varieties or factories. 



LABELING. 



The important work of labeling the collections of the department is 

 progressing satisfactorily. The system of case labeling adopted dur- 

 ing the preceding year, and descril)ed in the report for that year, has 

 been successfully applied, and many labtds are already in place. The 

 printing of labels for several halls is now going forward, and minor 

 labels have been prepared in large numbers by the various curators. 

 As soon as the W'Ork of labeling is reasonably complete and the instal- 

 lation satisfactory, it is planned to prepare a key or guide to the col- 

 lections of the department. 



