100 THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 



arts. The Museum is both an educational and research institution, 

 the exhibition series being specially well arranged and labeled from 

 an educational point of view, while the study series form the working 

 basis for numerous investigations both on the part of the Museum 

 staff and by many scientific men in the United States and abroad. 

 In furtherance of its work, the Museum has issued numerous reports, 

 bulletins, and proceedings, which contain many valuable reports of 

 research as Avell as contributions to knowledge. 



GalJery of art. — One of the fundamental objects prescribed by the 

 act of Congress founding the Institution was the establishment of 

 a Gallery of Art, a portion of the Smithsonian building being espe- 

 cially designed for this purpose. The building itself is a fine exam- 

 ple of architectual art during the latter half of the twelfth century, 

 variously styled Norman, Eomanesque, or Lombard, and its erection 

 was made possible by funds accumulated as interest on the Smithson 

 bequest. In 1849 a very valuable collection of etchings and engrav- 

 ings belonging to George P. Marsh Avas purchased and a gallery was 

 maintained until 1865, when the prints and engravings were depos- 

 ited in the Library of Congress, and later the other art collections 

 were deposited in the Corcoran Gallery of Art. These, however, 

 were in the main recalled from both places in 189G and reexhibited 

 at the Institution. In 1906 Charles L. Freer conveyed to the Insti- 

 tution his valuable art collections, including many paintings by 

 A^^iistler and four other American artists, numerous etchings and 

 engravings by Whistler, and many examj^les of Chinese and Japanese 

 art, as well as a large collection of oriental pottery. In the same 

 year, as the result of a judicial decision, the Institution was declared 

 in law and in fact to be the National Gallery of Art, thereby secur- 

 ing the small but choice art collection of Harriet Lane Johnston, 

 including examples of the greatest English portrait painters, and a 

 number of historical objects. 



In March, 1907, the National Gallery was further enriched by the 

 gift of Mr. William T. Evans, of Montclair, N. J., who presented 

 to it 50 paintings representing the best of the work of American 

 artists. These paintings are now on exhibition in the large atrium 

 of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, through the courtesy of its directors, 

 until a suitable place shall be provided for them in the Smithsonian 

 Institution, 



The Museum was under the direct charge of Spencer F. Baird, 

 as Assistant Secretary of the Institution, from 1850 to 1878, when 

 he became Secretary, and he was largely aided in its management 

 by George Brown Goode, who served as Assistant Secretary in chai"ge 

 of the Museum from 1887 to 1896. He was succeeded by Charles 

 D. Walcott, 1896 to 1898, and by Richard Rathbun, 1898 to date. 



