10 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1949 
Field work was conducted in Arnhem Land in northern Australia, 
India and Nepal, the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, New Zealand, 
the Canadian Arctic, nine different countries in South and Central 
America, and many parts of the United States. The Museum pub- 
lished its Annual Report, 3 Bulletins, 25 Proceedings papers, and 2 
papers in the Contributions from the United States National Herbar- 
ium. The division of history was elevated to the status of a full 
department of the Museum, with five divisions—military history, 
naval history, civil history, numismatics, and philately. 
National Gallery of Art——During the year there were 1,529,568 
visitors to the Gallery, an average daily attendance of 4,225. Acces- 
sions as gifts, loans, or deposits numbered 1,174, including 10 paint- 
ings and 50 prints and drawings from the estate of the late R. Horace 
Gallatin, and 891 prints and drawings from Lessing J. Rosenwald. 
Eleven special exhibitions were held at the Gallery, and two traveling 
exhibitions were circulated to art galleries, museums, and other organ- 
izations throughout the country. In response to inquiries received 
by the Gallery, nearly 1,000 research problems requiring reports were 
investigated, and advice was given regarding 233 works of art brought 
to the Gallery for opinion. Numerous books and articles on art sub- 
jects were published by staff members. New publications continued 
to be added to the literature available at the Gallery for purchase by 
the public. Some 15,000 persons attended the special tours of the 
Gallery, 20,000 the “Picture of the Week” talks, and 18,000 the lec- 
tures in the auditorium. The Gallery’s collections of art works has 
grown so fast that all available exhibition space was in use during 
the year. To provide for expansion, contracts have been let for the 
completion of 12 more galleries in unfinished areas of the Gallery 
building. ‘Some 50,000 persons attended the 46 Sunday evening 
concerts given in the Gallery’s East Garden Court. 
National Collection of Fine Arts.—At the annual meeting of the 
Smithsonian Art Commission of December 7, 1948, a number of 
paintings were accepted for the National Collection. The Commis- 
sion passed a resolution calling attention to the inadequacy of the 
present art exhibition facilities in the National Museum and recom- 
mending that the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution take action 
to provide proper space for the preservation and exhibition to the 
public of the National Collection of Fine Arts. Two miniatures were 
acquired through the Catherine Walden Myer fund. Under the 
provisions of the Ranger bequest, seven paintings temporarily as- 
signed to various art institutions were recalled for final consideration 
by the Smithsonian Art Commission. Two of these paintings were 
accepted for the National Collection, and the others were returned 
to the institutions to which they were originally assigned. A large 
