REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. " 121 



biaiiclu's of work, so that it is impossible to report imicli s])ecial work 

 aec(nni)lisheil in advaiicing the historical collections, except in connec- 

 tion with the prei)aration of the exhibits for the World's Fair. 



The crowded condition of the exhibition halls has necessitated the 

 withdrawal and temporary storage of the entire collections of medals 

 and money, and the general series of autograph papers of eminent 

 Americans. The collections of historical objects remaining on exhibition 

 include memorials and personal relics of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, 

 Van Buren, Jackson, Lincoln, Grant, and other Presidents of the United 

 States, and of soldiers, statesmen, and other eminent Americans, as 

 well as memorials of important events in American history. 



There have been 70 accessions to the collection during the j'ear, 

 aggregating nearly 1,000 specimens. The principal objects were a folio 

 Bible belonging to Gen. Washington, with his autograph on the title 

 page; a large number of memorials and personal relics of President 

 Andrew Jackson; autograph letters of Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, of the 

 Confederate Army, and of lion. G. W. Randolph, Secretary of War 

 of the Confederate States; specimens of the earliest copper money 

 coined in America, dating about 152.'>; medals presented by the corpo- 

 ration of the city of London, commemorative of events in the history of 

 that city; commissions bearing the signatures of Presidents John 

 Quincy Adams and James Madison; a large collection of engraved and 

 photographic ])ortraits of eminent Americans, and a collection of the 

 decorations of the military and civic orders of P^urope and America. 

 It was hoped that a large historical collection might be arranged for 

 the World's Fair, but it was impossible to accomplish all that was 

 planned, owing to lack of exhibition space. The exhibits sent to Chi- 

 cago included — 



(.1) About 1,800 engraved and photographic portraits of members of 

 the Continental Congress, the Federal Convention of 1787, the first 

 Congress of the United States, members of the Xational Acadenu' of 

 Science, and of other eminent Americans — statesmen, jurists, philoso- 

 phers. Army and Xavy officers, physicians, clergymen, educators, 

 artists, authors, merchants, and philanthropists ; 



(2) Medals, nearly GOO in number, illustrative of American history 

 from the earliest Colonial period through the Revolutionary war to 

 events of recent years, collegiate and ecclesiastical medals, and medals 

 in memory of eminent Americans : 



(3) A monographic collection of the metallic money of the colonies 

 prior to the establishment of the United States Mint ; 



(•4) A monographic collection of the American colonial and Conti- 

 nental paper money, and ])a]»er money issued l)y State and private 

 banks and by merchants ; 



(5) A series of early maps illustrating the development of geograph- 

 ical knowledge of America, and of the territorial growth of the United 

 States : 



