REPORTS OF THE BUILDING COMMITTEE. 669 



his name, on the behalf of the said Building Committee, the day and year above 

 -written. 



EOBEET DALE OWEN, 



Chairman, on behalf of Building Committee of Smithsonian Institution. 



Rathbun Allen, 



Witness as to signature of Robert Dale Owen. 



WILEY & PUTNAM. 



William B. Graves, 



Witness as to signature of Wiley §• Putnam. 



The size selected is what is called long quarto, and its somewhat oblong shape is 

 suitable for plates. The price stipulated for the paper, $6.40 a ream, insures its good 

 quality. The size of the paper and of type, and the size of the printed page, were 

 selected in part with reference to the probable form of our Transactions, which form 

 I think, might advantageously be copied, without variation, from this volume. 



I found that no publisher would agree to deliver to us one thousand copies at once, 

 nor until they had secured a return of the money actually expended by them. They 

 were all of opinion that so large a number as one thousand copies distributed at the 

 outset, would so injure the sale as to make it a losing business. 



As it was necessary to obtain considerable assistance from Mr. Eenwick, in 

 preparing drawings for wood-cut illustrations, revising text, &c, I made a verbal 

 agreement with him that, in return for such assistance as I might have occasion to 

 require of him, he should receive twenty-five copies of the work out of the first five 

 hundred, and twenty-five copies more out of the second five hundred received by us. 



By these arrangements the entire sum of one thousand dollars, appropriated for 

 the publication of this work, can be expended on illustrations, giving much increased 

 value to it. 



With a view still to increase that value, I took some steps which I hope will secure 

 us additional illustrations executed in the best style. 



Finding that the marble front of Stewart's new dry goods store in Broadway was 

 probably the finest specimen of the modern Italian style of architecture in the 

 United States, I procured an introduction to Mr. Stewart's partner, (Mr. S. being 

 now in Europe,) and proposed to him that if he would expend $100 to furnish us an 

 ■elevation of his store, on steel, we would afterwards, if he desired it, furnish him as 

 many copies as he might require at the cost of paper and printing. He said he 

 would write immediately to Mr. Stewart; that he did not doubt that he would agree 

 to it. He is to communicate the result to Mr. Eenwick, who will superintend the 

 preparation of the plate. 



I was also introduced by Mr. Eenwick to the principal vestrymen of Grace church ; 

 and he expressed to me his hope that he could obtain from the vestry a vote for a 

 similar plate of that church, a fine specimen of the latter or Flamboyant gothic. 



I also commissioned Mr. Eenwick, who is acquainted with some of the vestry at 

 Trinity church, to see them, and try to obtain a plate of that edifice. 



These plates, if obtained, would furnish excellent illustrations of the most suitable 

 character, and give much additional character to the publication. 



I called upon A. B. Durand, President of the Academy of Design, now a portrait 

 and historical painter, and formerly the best engineer in the United States, and 

 ascertained his opinion, that the best engravers, for portraits, in the United States 

 are Cassilear, 22 Bleeker street, New York, and Cheeney, of Philadelphia. 



He considers Eoberts, of New York, the best wood-cutter. He thinks that to 

 Cassilear or Cheeney the portrait of Smithson, for our Transactions, should be in- 

 trusted. 



I called on Eobert Schuyler, President of the Brunswick and New York Eailroad, 

 in regard to a season ticket, or free ticket, for our architect, Mr. Eenwick. There is 

 no chance of obtaining a free ticket. A season ticket at a reduced rate may possibly 

 be obtained. Mr. Schuyler promised to write to me on the subject. 



I did not, until further consultation, decide whether the perspective drawings of 

 our Institution, &c, should be in quarto or double quarto form. The folding of the 

 latter seems to me so objectionable, that I incline to the former, though it be some- 

 what small for so extensive a building. 

 Eespectfully submitted, by 



EOBEET DALE OWEN. 



On motion of Mr. Seaton, it was — 



Resolved, That the perspective views of the Institution, alluded to in the above 

 report, be executed in quarto form. 



