REPORT OF ASSISTANT SFX'RETARY. 123 



An adequate presentation of the subject being out of the question, 

 the attempt was made to show the beginnings of the more important 

 processes used in the i)n)duction of printable pictures, and to contrast 

 these with the hitest achie\ements of the same processes, in tlie hope 

 that, by thus phicing into juxtaposition the two ends of the line of 

 develoi)ment, the advances made would become apparent at a glance. 

 The whole collection was therefore to be looked upon as a tal)leau 

 illustrating the condition of the multiplying arts at or al)out the time 

 of the discovery of America, and the condition of the same arts in the 

 nineteenth century, with added specimens of the prin('ii)al processes 

 introduced in the four huiulred years intervening between these ])eriods. 



With this end in view, sixteen large frames were filled with piints, 

 each frame containing on an average about six prints, and arranged as 

 follows: Frame 1 contained woodcuts of the tifteenth and sixteenth 

 centuries, while in frame 2, alongside of it, were shown wood engravings 

 by American wood-engravers, produced within the ten or twelve years 

 last past. A similar arrangement was carried out for line-engraving 

 and etching, which filled, respectively, frames 3 and 4, and frames 5 and 

 G. The later processes, the <n'igin or at least the general acceptance 

 and development of which dates from the seventeenth and succeeding 

 centuries, had to be treated even more summarily. Thus, frame 7 was 

 devoted to mezzotinting; frame 8 to dry-pointing and aciuatinting; 

 frame 9 to the crayon manner and stippling; frame 10 to lithography, 

 and frames 11 and 12 to the various photo-mechanical processes. Frames 

 13 to 10 constituted a special division, in which the attempt was made 

 to give some idea of the history of color-printing. 



The curator was far from satisfied with this dis])lay, as will be sliowu 

 by the following extract from his annual report, and it is not at all to 

 be wondered at, since the possibilities were so great and the resources 

 were so small, compared with those of any similiar collection in a Euro- 

 pean capital. 1 can say from personal observation, however, that the 

 collection was greatly appreciated, and not only deserved but received 

 much attention, as indeed a series of specimens so well selected and 

 admirably arranged and labeled could not fail to do in any exhibition at 

 home or abroad. 



1 can not well omit the curators own somewhat low-spirited estimate 

 of the value of his work for the Exposition, since his statement of the 

 great needs and great (>i)iM)i'tuiiities in this connection may very ]>ossi- 

 bly attract the attention (»f jtersons who may be interested in improv- 

 ing the present condition of affairs. 



I must reiterate [writes Mr. Koeliler] my remarks upon the necessity of more iili- 

 eral appropriations for the section of grapliic arts. The unfortunate consetiuenres 

 growing out of tlie present condition of things made tliemselves very seriously felt 

 in connection with the World's C'(dunibian Ex]tosition, and I shall therefore beg 

 leave to offer a few remarks on this snlijcct. 



Among the great achievements which make the tifteeutii century one of the most 

 important epochs iu the history of the human race, the develoi)ment of the reiiro- 



