52 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1959 
ing drawings and specifications for the building were completed by 
the contract architects, McKim, Mead & White, and reviewed by the 
Smithsonian Institution and the General Services Administration. 
The construction of the superstructure was advertised for bids on 
June 23, 1959. 
Working drawings for the construction of additions to the Natural 
History Building were completed by the contract architects, Mills, 
Petticord & Mills, and were reviewed in detail by the staff of the 
Smithsonian Institution. Thus the architectural planning for these 
wings, which are urgently required to house the increasing scientific 
collections and to provide efficient working facilities for the staff, has 
been accomplished. The Congress recognized the immediate need 
for these additions when it appropriated the funds for the archi- 
tectural services to prepare the working drawings. The Smithsonian 
Institution is now prepared to contract for the construction of the 
additions when funds are appropriated for the purpose. 
John E. Cudd, architect of the Public Buildings Service assigned 
to the Smithsonian Institution, continued to advise on both building 
projects, assisting in the transmittal of requirements to the architects 
and in the review of the drawings and specifications. Many individ- 
uals and sections of the Public Buildings Service contributed counsel 
and advice. 
The contract work for replacement of the roof covering on the 
Natural History Building, the first phase of which was started in the 
fiscal year of 1957, has been completed. This project included the 
removal of the skylight glass, the installation of sheathing and metal 
covering, and the installation of fluorescent lighting to provide uni- 
form illumination in the three large halls. 
The floors of the auditorium in the Natural History Building have 
been re-covered to minimize the hazards of the sharply inclined aisles 
as well as to provide a more noiseless walking surface. 
A revised electrical system has been installed to serve the Arts and 
Industries, Smithsonian, and Freer Buildings. This project required 
the construction of two additional transformer vaults, the installation 
of two transformers, and the extensive revision of the electrical serv- 
ice in order to provide sufficient electrical capacity to serve the con- 
stantly increasing needs of the Institution. 
The east entrance of the Arts and Industries Building has been 
remodeled to permit installation of a heavy-duty hydraulic elevator 
for use in the handling of large and heavy objects from truck height 
to floor level. The combination of this elevator with a full-height 
rollup-type door will be especially useful during the transfer of mu- 
seum objects from the Arts and Industries Building to the Museum of 
History and Technology on its completion. Many former hazards oc- 
