SECRETARY'S REPORT 179 



CURATORIAL ACTIVITIES 



The Curatorial Department accessioned 131 gifts to the Gallery 

 during the fiscal year 1957. Advice was given with respect to 346 

 works of art brought to the Gallery for expert opinion, and 10 visits 

 to collections were made by members of the staff in connection with 

 offers of gift or for expert opinion. About 1,520 inquiries requiring 

 research were answered verbally and by letter. 



William Campbell gave three lectures on American primitive 

 painting at the Cooperstown summer seminars and also spoke to a 

 women's group at Shepherdstown, W. Va. He assisted in the judging 

 of an exhibition of the art work of State Department employees. 

 John Pancoast judged an art contest for AM VETS. Erwin O. 

 Christensen lectured on African Negro sculpture at Howard Univer- 

 sity, gave a Washington Seminar lecture on the Index of American 

 Design, and held 12 monthly talks for USIA groups on the Index. 

 Miss Elizabeth Mongan lectured at the Detroit Institute of Art, 

 served on a jury for an exhibition in Philadelphia, and spoke to 10 

 groups visiting Alverthorpe Gallery. Miss Elizabeth Benson spoke 

 to two women's organization meetings. Hereward Lester Cooke 

 assisted in the judging of seven art exhibitions in the Washington 

 area. 



Perry B. Cott served as a member of the Board of Governors of 

 the Archaeological Institute of America, Washington Society. Miss 

 Katherine Shepard was secretary of this organization and went as 

 official delegate to its General Meeting in Philadelphia. Miss Mongan 

 was Honorary Vice President of the American Color Print Society, 

 served on the American Jury of Selection of the International 

 Graphic Arts Society and was a director and member of the Execu- 

 tive Committee of the Print Council of America. 



RESTORATION 



Francis Sullivan, Resident Restorer of the Gallery, made regular 

 and systematic inspection of all works of art at the Gallery, and 

 periodically removed dust and bloom as required. He relined 6 paint- 

 ings, and gave special treatment to 34 paintings. Nineteen paintings 

 were X-rayed as an aid in research. Experiments were continued 

 with the application of 27H and other synthetic varnishes developed 

 by the National Gallery of Art Fellowship at the Mellon Institute 

 of Industrial Research, Pittsburgh, Pa. Proofs of all color repro- 

 ductions of Gallery paintings were checked and approved, and tech- 

 nical advice on the conservation of paintings was furnished to the 

 public upon request. 



Mr. Sullivan inspected all Gallery paintings on loan in Govern- 

 ment buildings in Washington. He also gave advice on and special 



