SECRETARY’S REPORT 35 
ericksburg, Va., and Lexington, Ky., and acquired many items of 
interest to the Smithsonian Institution exhibits and study collections. 
Among them were materials associated with Ira Remsen, the famous 
Johns Hopkins University chemist. At the Stevens Institute of 
Technology he examined the residues of the formerly extensive mu- 
seum. These comprise about 100 items, mostly models of considerable 
importance. Of particular interest also was a visit to Transylvania 
College, in Lexington, Ky., where Dr. Multhauf examined a collection 
of early 19th-century “philosophical apparatus,” which proved to be 
the most complete representation of instructional apparatus for a 
single period that has yet been located. There are about 150 pieces, 
all obtained between 1815 and 1839. Dr. Multhauf offered to give his 
advisory assistance to Transylvania College to carry out plans for the 
exhibition and study of these materials. 
In continuation of his efforts to build up the exhibit and study 
materials pertaining to the division of mechanical and civil engineer- 
ing, Eugene S. Ferguson, curator of that division, visited many indi- 
viduals and institutions throughout the eastern United States, in Con- 
necticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and 
Wisconsin. Mr. Ferguson’s most extensive trip, however, took him to 
various European countries between February 28 and April 13, 1959. 
During the 6 weeks that he spent in looking critically at European 
technical museums, he visited Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, Italy, 
Austria, France, and Holland, seeing altogether 31 museums. He 
acquired many impressions and ideas that will be useful in designing 
new halls in the Museum of History and Technology. In his opinion 
the best technical museum that he visited was the Deutsches Museum 
in Munich. It is extravagant in its use of space and dioramas, and 
of all museums he believes it to be the one that is most meticulous in 
the details of exhibit design and execution. 
Edwin A. Battison, associate curator of mechanical and civil engi- 
neering, made several trips to various points in the eastern United 
States to examine clocks and other timepieces, particularly examples 
of early electric watch models and historic instruments. He visited 
many watch factories, with a view to the acquisition of material with 
potential value in the exhibits and study collections of the Museum of 
History and Technology. 
Robert M. Vogel, assistant curator of civil and mechanical engineer- 
ing, made several visits to museums and other institutions in New 
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware in connection with 
the planned Smithsonian Hall of Engineering. He examined exten- 
sive collections of photographs of bridges, tunnels, and other struc- 
tural works and investigated various historic examples of refrigera- 
