36 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1948 
INTER-AMERICAN OFFICE 
The Inter-American Office suspended operations at the close of the 
the fiscal year, and its program of promoting art activities between the 
American republics was terminated, owing to the discontinuance of 
funds previously made available to the Gallery for this work. 
CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF BUILDING 
The installation of the fourth refrigeration machine to provide addi- 
tional air conditioning for the Gallery building was completed in 
March 1948. Since that time the machine has been in operation when- 
ever required and has been giving satisfactory service. 
During the year the mechanical staff overhauled three of the other 
refrigeration machines, which would customarily have been done by 
outside contract. The usual routine work in connection with the 
structural care and maintenance of the building and its mechanical 
equipment was carried on throughout the year. Care and improve- 
ment of the Gallery grounds also progressed satisfactorily; and con- 
siderable replacements were made in the Taxus hedge in various areas. 
The gardening staff has continued to grow a substantial portion of the 
smaller plants used for the decoration of the two Garden Courts. 
Plans are now under way to extend the cold-frame equipment in the 
southwest moat, to enable the gardening staff to produce more small 
flowering plants used for decorative purposes. 
The equipment in the cafeteria kitchen was rearranged during the 
year, and additional items were purchased, to facilitate the operation 
of the cafeteria. 
OTHER ACTIVITIES 
During the fiscal period a total of 47 Sunday evening concerts were 
given at the Gallery. The concerts, free to the public, attracted 
capacity audiences. Five Sunday evening concerts during the month 
of May were devoted to the Gallery’s Fifth American Music Festival, 
the most successful of these to date. 
A total of 155 permits to copy paintings and 107 permits to photo- 
graph in the Gallery were issued during the year. Prints of the 
motion picture on the National Gallery of Art were loaned during 
the year to 19 institutions. 
During the year the photographic laboratory of the Gallery made 
13,938 prints, 1,037 black-and-white slides, 891 color slides, 2,611 nega- 
tives, in addition to infrared photographs, ultraviolet photographs, 
and color separation negatives. 
