22 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1959 
covery and development of the Salk poliomyelitis vaccine was con- 
tributed by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. This 
collection includes original flasks used by Dr. John F. Enders to 
grow polio viruses in cultures of human embryonic skin and muscle 
tissue; a bottle and automatic rocker used at the University of Toronto 
Connaught Laboratories to grow polio virus in quantity ; syringe and 
residues of the first vaccines given by Dr. Jonas E. Salk; and the 
original draft of the report by Dr. Thomas Francis, Jr., evaluating 
the 1954 field trials of poliomyelitis vaccine. 
The division of physical sciences continued its efforts to acquire 
early scientific apparatus used in colleges. The majority of the ap- 
paratus collected this year is chemical, and the most noteworthy ac- 
cession is a group of instruments used by Ira Remsen at Johns Hop- 
kins University. Other outstanding items obtained are the first equa- 
torial telescope (1876) of the Warner & Swasey Co., the gift of that 
firm, and the first helium liquefier built in the United States in 1931 
donated by the National Bureau of Standards. 
Specimens of major importance acquired in the division of trans- 
portation are a model representing the sister ships /ndependence and 
Constitution, modern American liners, received from American Ex- 
port Lines, and the models of the Hudson River steamer Francis 
Skiddy from F. Van Loon Ryder and the Narragansett Bay steamer 
Mount Hope from Mary T. Campbell. Other outstanding accessions 
include an oil-tank wagon from the Esso Standard Oil Co., a private 
coach, presented by Mrs. Richard Saltonstall through the interest of 
Senator Leverett Saltonstall, and a Conestoga wagon from Howard 
C. Frey. The private coach, a most significant addition, was built 
in 1851 by the famous carriage maker Thomas Goddard of Boston. 
EXPLORATION AND FIELDWORK 
The department of anthropology has underway an extensive pro- 
eram to revitalize the famous paintings of Indians by George Catlin. 
F. M. Setzler, head curator, went to Boston between May 26 and 28, 
1959, to investigate the progress of the renovations, which are being 
carried out under the guidance of Henri Courtais. Cleaning the 
painted surfaces involves a variety of methods and chemical solutions, 
depending on the condition of the painting and the canvas. A large 
percentage of the original Catlin paintings had been relined with a 
canvas about 75 years ago, when someone repainted the backgrounds 
of most of the paintings involved. This repainting was done on top 
of dirt, smoke, and water blemishes. The overpaint requires addi- 
tional time and effort to remove before Mr. Courtais and his assistants 
can clean the original painted surface. After this overpaint is re- 
moved, the excellence of the painting can be truly appreciated and 
