28 



THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



during the age of land connection of the two continents. Interest has cen- 

 tered also in an investigation of the tribes of the Southwest and of the 

 islands of the Pacific with reference to establishing possible connection 

 between the Old and New 

 Worlds at this point through 

 the widespread Polynesians. 



The American Museum 

 has unusual hopes for the 

 future of this research be- 

 cause of large ecjuipment for 

 the study in life casts of 

 physical types. In 1906 

 the institution possessed 

 more than five hundred 

 masks from life, and the 

 number has steadily in- 

 creased until it has become 

 a very complete collection. 

 There is a full series of 

 Siberian casts, actually 

 made in the field on the Jesup North Paci- 

 fic Expeditions a complete Eskimo series, 

 made pretty much throughout the length 

 and breadth of the Arctic regions, and an 

 elaborate series representing every type of 

 culture of the North American Indian, being 

 especially strong for the Northwest Coast, 

 the Plains, California and the Southwest. 

 In addition the jVIuseum possesses a scat- 

 tering series for South America and the 

 South Pacific Islands, representative of such 

 races as Patagonians, Maori, Samoans, 

 and Filipinos. Almost without exception 

 these stand for actual field study of the 

 given race and are accompanied l)y a long 

 series of photographs and careful color 

 studies for many subjects. 



Ethnology draws many conclusions from 

 skull study but these results must of neces- 

 sity be incomplete as compared with records 

 based on casts from life which give perfect 



i\rc. .Jaiiu-s O. Bell, expert worker 

 in jilastcr. making a glue mold of 

 an Indian liead. tilue is i)oiired 

 into the fminel, the lower end of 

 which opens into a hall-inch space 

 ))etween the original model and the 

 plaster jacket fitting over it. As 

 the glue rises in this .sjjace about 

 the model, holes previously cut in 

 the jacket to allow the escape of 

 air are i)lugge(l with clay. Finally 

 the fimnels at the top and side are 

 capi)ed with clay and the glue is 

 allowed to set for twelve liours 



