10 
SirteentB Annual Report 
OF THE 
Corporation Art Gallery Committee. 
HE Art Gallery Committee have pleasure in presenting to the 
Cc Town Council their Sixteenth Annual Report. The number 
of visitors is about the same as last year, although the Gallery 
has been open 22 days less. The average attendance shows improve- 
ment, and on paying days is rather less than one-sixth of that upon 
free days. Below is given a comparative table of the number of visitors 
for the last three years. The total number of visitors since the opening 
of the Gallery is 616,935. 
1895-96 | 1896-97 | 1897-98 
Visitors to Autumn Exhibition ...| 17707 | 14360 | 12948 
en Spring s at ...| 17300 15340 14720 
a Summer =A at vi. | ZO 12152 13766 
Total Visitors... | 47157 41852 41434 
Total Days Open by Payment... ie 164 178 163 
3 m7 Free oa ee 87 90 83 
Total Daya Open... 251 | 268 | 246 
Average on Paying Days ace a 62 53 60 
“c Free Days ... A096 Hc 425 361 381 
Three Exhibitions have been held during the past year, those for 
the Autumn and Spring being on the usual lines, and consisting of 
modern pictures in both oil and water colours. At both Exhibitions the 
sales were satisfactory, although rather below those of last year. Addi- 
tional interest was given to the Spring Exhibition by the loan of nearly 
forty pictures from the fine collection of Merton Russell Cotes, Esq., 
F.R.G.S., of Bournemouth, who placed the Committee and the Town 
