REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 41 



for the collection of the Gallery ; 46 private collections were reviewed 

 in connection with offers to the Gallery of gifts or loans ; 128 consulta- 

 tions were held concerning more than 250 works of art brought to the 

 Gallery for expert opinion; 116 written and 107 verbal replies involv- 

 ing research in the history of art were made to inquiries; and 8 visits 

 were made outside the Gallery to view works of art for expert opinion. 



RESTORATION AND REPAIR OF WORKS OF ART 



With the authorization of the Board and the approval of the Direc- 

 tor and Chief Curator, the necessary restoration and repair of works 

 of art in the Gallery's collection were made by Stephen S. Pichetto, 

 Consultant Restorer to the Gallery. All work was completed in the 

 Restorer's studio in the Gallery with the exception of several works 

 of art requiring attention before they could with safety be shipped to 

 Washington, D. C, and two paintings on which the work was of such 

 a delicate and complicated nature that it had to be done in Mr. Pi- 

 chetto's New York studio. 



EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM 



The various programs conducted by the educational department con- 

 tinued to be popular. The Gallery tours of the collection attracted 

 more than 15,000 people, and nearly 27,000 attended the two 10-minute 

 lectures given daily on the "Picture of the Week." This latter attend- 

 ance is an increase of 5,000 over the fiscal year 1944. Illustrated lec- 

 tures on 57 special topics were given in the auditorium by members 

 of the educational and curatorial departments and by guest speakers. 



LIBRARY 



A total of 1,035 books and 299 pamphlets and periodicals were pre- 

 sented to the Gallery; 9 books were purchased by the Gallery; 3,020 

 photographs and 45 slides were presented as gifts ; 22 books, 68 pam- 

 phlets, and 357 bulletins were acquired through exchange, and 20 sub- 

 scriptions to periodicals were made. 



PHOTOGRAPHIC DEPARTMENT 



During the year the photographic laboratory of the Gallery made 

 9,498 prints, 632 black and white slides, and 1,625 color slides. 



OTHER GIFTS 



During the year gifts of books on art and related material were 

 made to the Gallery library by Maj. Paul Mellon, Mrs. Jesse Isidor 

 Straus, Col. and Mrs. John Nicholas Brown, Capt. Cyrus R. Miller, 

 the National Gallery of Canada, the Carnegie Institute, David E. 

 Finley, Ferdinand Lammot Belin, Samuel H. Kress, and A. G. Gallo- 



