18 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1911. 



BUILDINGS AND FURNITURE. 



The work done in connection with the new building has been 

 described on a previous page. The older Museum building and the 

 Smithsonian building have been maintained in a satisfactory condi- 

 tion, and the adaptation of the large second-story hall in the latter, 

 formerly occupied by the archeological collections, for the purposes 

 of the division of plants, including the National Herbarium, was 

 completed. 



With the removal of the natural history and anthropological 

 collections, now in large part accomplished, the exhibition halls in 

 both of these buildings will, with minor exceptions, be entirely de- 

 voted to the arts and industries and American history. The space 

 which is being vacated is sufficiently large to accommodate many of 

 the subjects which have hitherto been crowded out, and at the same 

 time to permit of the necessary extension of some of the existing 

 exhibits. The opening up of the very large amount of material 

 which has been held in storage awaiting this opportunity has so 

 far been deferred because of the importance of directing the energies 

 of the staff toward completing the arrangements in the new building, 

 but it will soon be commenced. 



Under a special appropriation made by Congress to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, two automatic electric passenger elevators were 

 introduced in the Smithsonian building, where the lack of such con- 

 veniences has been greatly felt. One of these, installed at the north 

 or main entrance, gives access to the National Herbarium and the 

 offices of the Bureau of American Ethnology, while the other, located 

 at the east entrance, connects the several floors occupied by the 

 offices of general administration. 



Considerable progress was made in providing furniture and fix- 

 tures for the new building, the greater part of which were con- 

 structed under contract, though the Museum shops were run to 

 their full capacity, and such articles as could be obtained in the 

 markets were purchased. The principal acquisitions comprised 318 

 exhibition cases, 108 storage cases and pieces of laboratory furni- 

 ture, 151 pieces of office and miscellaneous furniture, 4,444 wooden 

 and 1,000 steel unit specimen drawers, and 426 specimen drawers of 

 special sizes. Additional items consisted of case fittings, such as 

 shelving, small bases and trays for specimens, label holders, window 

 curtains, etc. One hundred and fifty-seven exhibition and 815 stor- 

 age cases were remodeled in the Museum shops. 



An inventory covering all furniture belonging to the Museum 

 shows that there were on hand at the end of the year 2,724 exhibi- 

 tion cases of all kinds and sizes, 5,990 storage cases and pieces of 

 laboratory furniture, 2,800 pieces of office and miscellaneous furni- 



