FIRST DRAFT OF A SYSTEM OF CLASSIFICATION FOR THE 

 WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. 



•By G. Brown Goode, LL. D. 

 Asatstnui Secrefarii, SmUhsoiiian Institution, in ehanie of U. S. National Mnseum. 



(.Submitted t(» the Hou. Thomas W. Palmer, President of the Worlds Columbian 

 Commission, September 1, 1892.) 



The paper now submitted is emphatit;;!!!}^ ajirst draft * and should 

 its general features meet with approval, it must still require careful 

 revision and some rearrangement before it can be said to be ready for 

 actual use. The time allowed for its preparation has been very short, 

 and r have not had sufticient opportunity for conference with certain 

 experts whose critical revision of the groups with which they are in«li 

 vidually familiar is essential to the perfection of the plan. 



1 am aware that some of the groupings proposed nmy probably be 

 unsatisfactory to the representatives of special interests, manutVictur 

 ing or conmicrcial, who will feel anxious to have all of the exhibits in 

 which they are interested kept together. The textile men, for instance, 

 may wish to have felt hats exhibited with other articles of felt, rather 

 than in the department of costume; the w(>ol men may desire a special 

 collection of wool and (dl its i»roducts; the printing trade may expect 

 to have printing presses shown by the side of paper and books, rather 

 than with machinery in motion. In such cases as these, concessions and 

 changes may be made, for intending exhibitors have rights which must 

 be carefully^ regarded. 



Many millions of visitors will see the Exposition, and it isfor the visitors' 

 interest especially that the objects on exhibition ought to be arranged. 

 They should be selected and installed, tirst of all, with reference to 

 attractiveness. Visitors must be drawn from every village in America, 

 and after coming to Chi( \go must be led to visit the Exposition repeat- 

 edly, and to examine the displays in as many as i)Ossible of the thoii- 



* Special acknowledgments are due to Prof. W. O. Atwater, Prof. Otis T. Mason, 

 Mr. J. Elfreth Watkins, Dr. Cyrus Adler, Col. G. E. Gordon, Mr. R. E. Earll, and 

 Mr. W. V. Cox for advice and criticism in connection with the work of preparinj^ 

 the system of classitication. 



Acknowledgment is also due to Prof. Melvil Dewey, the author of the "Decimal 

 Classification and Relative Index for the Arrangement of Libraries." His book has 

 been constantly in my hands for several years, and its great usefulness in the han<l- 

 ling of books and literary material suggested the desirability of foi'mmg a similar 

 plan for use iu the arrangement of Exhibition material. 



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