REPORT OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL MUSEUM. 89 



Plan of organization. — Tlie chief requisite to success in the devclop- 

 meut of a great museum is a perfect plan of organization and a philo- 

 sophical system of chissification. Much thought has been devoted to 

 these subjects by the officers of the Museum, esi^ecially during the past 

 two years. Many of the i^rincipal museums of Europe liavc been 

 studied by mo, personal visits having been made, their catalogues and 

 publications minutely compared, and correspondence carried on with 

 their officers. It is hoped that the plans which have been developed as 

 the result of thlfbe labors, may include the best features of similar plans 

 hitherto proposed. 



The general idea of the new classification is that the collections 

 should form a museum of anthropology, the word "anthropology "being 

 applied in it most comprehensive sense. It should exhibit the physical 

 characteristics, the history, the manners, past and present, of all peoples, 

 civilized and savage, and should illustrate human culture and industry 

 in all their phases; the earth, its physical structure audits products, is 

 to be exhibited with si)ecial reference to its adaptation for use by man 

 and its resources for his future needs. The so-called natural history 

 collections — that is to say, the collections in pure zoology, geology, and 

 botany, — should be grouped in separate series, which, though arranged 

 on another plan, shall illustrate and supplement the collections in indus- 

 trial and economic natural history. 



The classification i)roposed should provide a place for every object in. 

 existence which it is possible to describe, or which may be designated 

 by a name. When the object itself cannot be obtained, its place should 

 be supplied by a model, picture, or diagram. 



The following plan of classification is proposed for provisional usej 

 the experience of future years will doubtless make it wise to introduce 

 into it numerous changes. Whatever may be its faults, it is believed 

 that anj" object which may come into the possession of the Museum 

 may by its means be at once assigned to a jilace in which it may cou- 

 sistently remain. 



Oidy the principal divisions of the classification are now presented, 

 a more detailed exposition being reserved for the next report. 



OUTLINE OF A SCHEME OF MUSEUM CLASSIFICATION. 



Divisions. Classes. 



I. Mankind 1- 3 



n. The Earth as Man's Abode 4-10 



III. Katural Resources 11-15 



IV. The Exploitative Industries 10-20 



V. The Elaborative Industries 21-33 



YI. Ultimate Troducts and their Utilization 39-47 



VII. Social Relations of Mankind 4S-54 



VIU. Intellectual Occupations of Mankind o5-G4 



