AMERICAN INDIAN EXHIBITS—EWERS 523 
interest for children and adults—but few people ventured into the 
crowded alcoves to view the thousands of artifacts displayed in cases 
inadequately illuminated by natural light. Hundreds of near dupli- 
cate specimens—964 examples of Pueblo pottery, more than 200 Pomo 
baskets, 119 Hopi kachina dolls—ranged on shelves or hung in layers 
within the cases, presenting the monotonous appearance of visual 
storage rather than the lively attractiveness of educational exhibits. 
(PIZ6:) 
Meanwhile, also, great strides had been made in the use of artificial 
lighting, color, and design in store window and commercial displays— 
techniques that could be readily adapted to museum exhibition. At 
the same time research on American Indian cultures had shed new light 
upon the history and functions of artifacts. 
Gradually the dissatisfaction with existing exhibits grew among 
visitors and staff members alike. It became increasingly apparent 
that the old exhibits could not be brought up to date simply by making 
minor changes here and there. It was not a problem of polishing and 
repairing the old Rolls Royce. The entire exhibition needed stream- 
lining. 
Planning of a complete revision of the American Indian halls was 
begun in the 1940’s. After World War IT, A. Joseph Andrews and 
John E. Anglim prepared two miniature dioramas in the anthro- 
pological laboratory under the writer’s scientific supervision. At a 
scale of 114 inches to a foot these exhibits portrayed typical camps of 
the Yahgan Indians of Tierra del Fuego and of the Yosemite Indians 
of California, showing the homes and activities of these people in 
their appropriate natural settings. These dioramas were temporarily 
installed, one at each end of Hall 11 in association with revised exhibits 
of artifacts from their respective cultures. Light boxes were added 
to the old wall cases and a few carefully selected specimens were in- 
stalled against backgrounds of contrasting colors. A marked improve- 
ment was apparent in these sections of the hall. 
In 1954 funds were made available to completely modernize the 
entire hall, employing new cases and artificial lighting throughout. 
There was never any question of the basic organization of exhibits. 
Mason’s fundamental concept of culture areas had gained general 
acceptance. Even writers of children’s books had adopted it in their 
descriptions of American Indian cultures, devoting separate chapters 
to the Indians of the Woodlands, of the Plains, of the Northwest coast, 
and others. In our new exhibits children would see the typical arti- 
facts they had read about and in the same cultural contexts. in the 
two halls available plans were made to interpret the historic cultures 
of the native peoples of the Americas, beginning with the Eskimos of 
the far north and continuing geographically southward to the Fuegians 
at the southernmost extremity of South America. The halls were 
