REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 43 



Boston Museum in L888. One year earlrer, in L887, he became con- 

 nected with the b. S. National Museum, in which at thai time the 

 collection of graphic arts was first formally organized. From a very 

 small beginning this collection grew rapidly under Mr. Koehler's 

 supervision, and as a resull of his well directed and persistenl effort it 

 now comprises more than 7,000 specimens. Using his own words, he 

 aimed to " represent art as an industry." and to this end he planned to 

 make the exhibit one which should illustrate all of the methods 

 employed in producing pictures by lines and masses, in black or in colors, 

 by hand or with the aid of machinery. His aim has been realized to such 

 an extent that a great many of these processes are adequately illus- 

 trated by the tools and materials used, as well as by examples showing 

 successive stages in the various methods from the date of their incep- 

 tion to the present time. 



For many years Mr. Koehler was attached to the scientific stall' of 

 the National Museum as curator. After his health failed and he was 

 unable to devote as much time to the work as formerly he was made 

 an honorary curator. The value of his services in building up the 

 graphic arts collection can not he overestimated. 



In 1894 lie delivered a course of nine lectures in the National Museum 

 on "Old and modern methods of engraying." His most important 

 work was published in 1885 and was entitled "Etching." At the time 

 of his death he had in course of preparation a " History of the art ol 

 color printing." He contributed many articles to the magazines of 

 America, England, and Germany. Among a large number of othei 

 important works mention should be made of his ••Catalogue of an 

 exhibition illustrating the technical methods of the reproductive arts 

 from the fifteenth century to the present time, with special reference 

 to the photo-mechanical processes," and a "Catalogue of the engrav- 

 ings, dry points, and etchings of Albert Purer." 



Mr. Ralph Dupuy Lacoe, whose benefactions have so greatly 

 enriched the national collections, was born in Luzerne County. Pa., 

 November lb \^M. His father, Anthony Desire Lacoe. came from 

 his birthplace in the vicinity of Havre. France, to Philadelphia in 

 1792. From there he removed, in L798, to the Wyoming Valley, 

 where, at Pitt-ton. he died in L883, at an age of only four days less 

 than 103 years. The mother of R. D. Lacoe was Fnielie Magdalene 

 Dupuy, daughter of dean Francois Dupuy. a native of Bordeaux, and 

 Jane Elizabeth Desire, a member of a Huguenot family of Xante*. 

 For many years dean Francois Dupuy resided in Santo Domingo, 

 where, in 1 T'.M . after t he success of t he negro insurrection, he escaped, 

 with the lo-s of his valuable estate, to the Dinted State- In L795 he 

 finally settled in Wilkesbarre, where, in L812, hi- daughter married 

 Anthony Lacoe. 



The subject of this sketch was the youngest of Anthony Lacoe"- five 



