8 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1957 



one collection, 27,600 specimens of marine invertebrates from the 

 Smithsonian-Bredin Caribbean expedition, and 2,900 Australian mol- 

 lusks; in botany, an important collection of type specimens from 

 Central America, as well as desirable lots of plants from Iran, the 

 West Indies, Cuba, Ecuador, Brazil, East Africa, and the Marshall 

 Islands; in geology, several fine gems and mineral specimens, seven 

 meteorites new to the collections, several thousand invertebrate fossils, 

 and about 100 fossil mammalian specimens collected from the Eocene 

 of Wyoming ; in engineering and industries, about 20 original instru- 

 ments relating to the history of the telephone, a Eobertson milling 

 machine of 1852, a full-sized pirogue, an X-ray tube of Roentgen, a 

 complete set of hospital-ward fixtures of about 1900, and examples of 

 the graphic art of Whistler, Gauguin, Bonnard, Rouault, Picasso, and 

 Matisse ; and in history, a Pennsylvania reception room of the period 

 1785-90, a summer service uniform once worn by President Eisen- 

 hower, and many desiderata in the fields of philately and 

 numismatics. 



Members of the staff conducted fieldwork in Canada, Ecuador, 

 Peru, Brazil, Panama, Philippine Islands, Society Islands, Mexico, 

 Europe, Bermuda, and many parts of the United States. 



The exhibits-modernization program was successfully continued, 

 and three new halls were opened to the public — the Hall of Power 

 Machinery, the Hall of Everyday Life in Early America, and the Hall 

 of North American Mammals. A new telephone exhibit also received 

 much attention. Seven new exhibit units were installed in the North 

 American Indian Hall. 



Bureau of American Ethnology. — The staff members continued 

 their research and publication in archeology and ethnology: Dr. 

 Stirling conducted archeological work in Ecuador, Dr. Roberts con- 

 tinued as Director of the River Basin Surveys, Dr. Collins studied 

 anthropological materials in European museums, and Dr. Sturtevant 

 did fieldwork on the Seneca and the Florida Seminole. 



Astrophysical Observatory. — The APO continued its researches in 

 solar astrophysics as well as its meteoritic studies, adding several 

 members to its staff and notably increasing its publication activities. 

 Of great current interest is the Observatory's so-called Moonwatch 

 program — the optical tracking of the earth satellite to be launched as 

 a part of the International Geophysical Year. The division of radia- 

 tion and organisms continued its research on the role of light in regu- 

 lating growth in plants. 



National Collection of Fine Arts. — The Smithsonian Art Commis- 

 sion accepted for the Gallery 62 oil paintings, 2 watercolors, 3 etch- 

 ings, 1 miniature, and 1 vase, and a collection of 59 French and Eng- 

 lish fans. The Gallery held 15 special exhibits during the year, while 



