10 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1910. 
sion of knowledge, for the direction of research, for cooperation 
with departments of the Government and with universities and 
scientific societies in America, and likewise afford a definite corre- 
spondent to all scientific institutions and men abroad who seek inter- 
change of views or knowledge with men of science in the United 
States. 
Since that early day no material change has been suggested in the 
general scope of the Government Museum; it has only remained to 
elaborate the details, and the opportunity is now at hand to realize 
all that the first board had in view, smce ample space has become 
available. 
The development of the Museum has naturally been greatest in 
those subjects which the conditions of the past sixty years have made 
most truitful—the natural history, geology, ethnology, and arche- 
ology of the United States, supplemented by many collections from 
other countries. The opportunities in these directions have been 
mainly brought about through the activities of the scientific and 
economic surveys of the Government, many of which are the direct 
outgrowths of earlier explorations, stimulated or directed by the 
Institution. The Centennial Exhibition of 1876 afforded the first 
opportunity for establishing a department of the industrial arts on a 
creditable basis, and of this the fullest advantage was taken, though 
only a part of the collections then obtaimed could be accommodated 
in the space available. 
The department or gallery of the fine arts had made little progress, 
though not from lack of desire or appreciation, until within the past 
four years, during which its interests have been markedly advanced, 
as elsewhere explained. 
Another subject to which much attention has been paid with satis- 
factory results is American history, illustrated by objects repre- 
senting distinguished personages and important events as well as the 
domestic life of the country from the colonial period to the present 
day. 
It is gratifying to note that the new building has now been so far 
completed as to permit of taking up the work of readjusting the 
collections, whose systematic arrangement has for many years been 
impossible through lack of sufficient space. To this large structure, 
specially erected for their accommodation, the collections of zoology, 
geology, ethnology, and archeology are being rapidly transferred, 
making available for the arts and industries the entire older build- 
ing and a part of the Smithsonian building. 
With its collections thus distributed between the three buildings, 
all fireproof and of substantial construction, the National Museum 
may be expected to enter upon an era of renewed prosperity and 
usefulness. 
