38 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1921. 



History. — The historical collections received important additions 

 during the past year. Those relating to the World War were for 

 the most part of a naval character. The Navy Department trans- 

 ferred to the Museum a lame aggregation of materials illustrating 

 the part played by that branch of the service during the war, in- 

 cluding naval airplanes of the type and design used for patrol and 

 convoy duty during the conflict, models of naval vessels used during 

 the same period, various examples of marine instruments used on 

 these ships, and a large number of guns and miscellaneous ordnance 

 material. The Navy Department also increased its exhibition by a 

 number of naval objects captured from the enemy in the war zone. 

 These include the engines of a German submarine, a submarine tor- 

 pedo, and a number of smaller German naval projectiles. The 

 exhibit of the Navy Department already presents in a striking and 

 graphic manner the leading features of the work of the Navy during 

 the war, and plans have been made to develop it into one of the most 

 notable collections of the kind in existence. The numismatic and 

 pictorial sections of the war collection received valuable additions 

 the former including a number of war decorations and commemo- 

 rative medals and the latter two large paintings by Arthur M. 

 Hazard, entitled " Not by Might " and " The Spirit of the Armistice." 

 The collection was increased by British and Canadian uniforms, and 

 documents relating to the services of Lieut. Louis Bennett, of the 

 Royal Air Force, killed in action in France, given the Museum by 

 his mother, Mrs. Louis Bennett, of Weston, W. Ya. ; and a collection 

 of French military objects, including a steel listening post, a steel 

 cupola with guns, a catapult, a Brandt cannon, a number of hand 

 and rifle grenades, and miscellaneous relics presented by the French 

 Government. 



Of the antiquarian material may be mentioned a watch seal of 

 carnelian set in gold, bearing the Washington crest and owned by 

 Gen. Washington subsequent to the War of the Revolution. This 

 exceptionally interesting and valuable object was presented to the 

 Museum by Mr. William Sloane, of New York. The National 

 Society of Colonial Dames of America added to their collection a 

 number of interesting pieces. Of special interest also is a very 

 handsome silver punch bowl with tray, ladle, and 10 mugs, pre- 

 sented to Col. George Armistead by citizens of Baltimore in recogni- 

 tion of his services in connection with the defense of Fort McHenry, 

 Baltimore Harbor, in 1814. These have been presented to the 

 Museum by Mr. Alexander Gordon, jr., of Baltimore, a great grand- 

 son of Col. Armistead. The military, the naval, the numismatic, 

 and the philatelic sections of the original historical collections also 

 received large additions during the year. 



