REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 25 



Some eases have been made in whicli corner pieces of wood or metal 



have been entirely dispensed uith, as in that containing the re],rodn<- 



tion ot the Bryant Memorial Vase (PI. 5). This inoeni.ms n.ethod 



requires mechanical skill <,f the highest quality, and the expense is so 



great that ,t is only justifiable in the case of very precious objects 



which require to be hermetically sealed. The cost of this special recep- 



tacle wasis?39y. It is the most expensive case, for its size, in this museum 



and IS an exceedingly beautiful piece of work. ' 



In tittmg cases with shelves the so-called - Gavit bracket," invented 



by I rot. Edward S. Morse, of thePeabody Museum, in 8aleni, which is 



supported upon racks secured to the side, of upright bars, in the back 



of the cases, has always been thoroughly satisfactory. In some instances 



where heavy objects, like minerals, are to be shelved and the (piestion 



of protection against insects is not involve<l the '-Jeuks bracket" 



which fits with a triangular knob into an aperture of similar shape in 



a metal plate secured to the back of the case, has been substituted 



Another kind of bracket support which seems to have great possi- 

 bilities IS the invention of Mr. Henry Horan. It is constructed of iron 

 pipe and is exceedingly light and strong. The essential features of 

 this contrivance are shown in Plate 6. 



The use of clear, strong colors for backgrounds is continued the 

 only changes having been in the direction of better and purer pioments 

 Many experiments have been made and the number of colors used 

 have been reduced to two-a maroon corresi)ouding to that custom- 

 arily seen on the walls of art galleries, for large cases in brilliantly 

 lighted halls where the installation is not crowded, and a light warm 

 buft, somewhat resembling in tint the Solenhofen lithographic stone 

 but somewhat warmer, in cases and halls where specimens are crowded 

 or where much light is for any reason desirable. This luminous buff is 

 also used very largely upon ceilings and the upper parts of walls 

 while the maroon is used on walls up to the level of the tops of the 

 cases, harmonizing admirably with the mahogany furniture. Glass 

 shelves are used when possible, even in cases for natural history objects 

 Theintluenceof the National Museum system of case construction 

 and labeling was manifest everywhere throughont the American exhibits 

 at the ^^ orkrs Fair, particularly in the Government budding, the Lib- 

 eral Arts building, the Fisheries building (where Norway also had in 

 part adopted our style), the Wcnnan's building, some of the State buihl- 

 lugs, and particularly in the exlnbit of the Pennsylvania Kailroad, where 

 our cases and labels were adopted un.ier the direction of one of our 

 curators. 



Storage cases.-X modification of the English form of sliding mechan- 

 ism, by means of which drawers of different dei)ths are used inter- 

 changeably throughout a long series of storage cases, has been in use in 

 the Museum since 1882. At least 30,000 of the standard .Irawers, 24 

 by oO inches, are m use for the reception of minerals, fossils, and zoo- 



