REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 47 



the United States of America at, and in connection with, the Smithsonian 

 Institution, located in the District of Columbia, and described in the Act of 

 Congress entitled an Act to establish the " Smithsonian Institution " for the 

 increase and diffusion of knowledge among men, approved August, 10, 1846 

 (9 Stat. L., 103; Title LXXIII, sec. 5579, R. S., U. S.), and the subsequent 

 acts of Congress amendatory thereof; and it is further adjudged, ordered, and 

 decreed that the United States of America is entitled to demand and receive 

 from the surviving Executors of the said Harriet Lane Johnston, the Com- 

 plainants named in the bill of complaint in this case, all of the above-mentioned 

 pictures, articles of sculpture, engravings, m niatures, and other articles, the 

 same to he and become a part of the said National Art Gallery so established 

 by the United States of America at, and in connection with, the said Smith- 

 sonian Institution. 



* * * * * * * 



Wendell P. Stafford. Justice. 



The collection was therefore assigned to its care. Since that time 

 the national collections have increased rapidly, chiefly, however, 

 through gifts and bequests of art works by patriotic citizens. 



It is a noteworthy fact that until the beginning of the year 1920-21 

 no appropriation had been made for the gallery or for the purchase 

 of art works, and no provision for the employment of a salaried 

 curator or other employees of the gallery, all works of art being 

 associated with the department of anthropology of the National 

 Museum. It happened thus that the organization of the gallery as a 

 separate unit of the Institution did not require any radical change 

 in the personnel of the gallery, the curator of the department of 

 anthropology, who had previously cared for the art collections, be- 

 coming director, and the recorder of that department becoming the 

 recorder of the gallery. 



THE HENRY WARD RANGER FUND. 



Fortunately, a liberal private fund has recently become available 

 for the increase of the collections. The will of the late Henry Ward 

 Ranger provides the sum of $200,000, the interest of which is to be 

 devoted to the purchase of works of art for the National Gallery, the 

 carrying out of the bequest being intrusted to the National Academy 

 of Design. The provision is as follows : 



All pictures so purchased are to be given by the Council to Art institutions in 

 America, or to any 1 brary or other institutions in America maintaining a gal- 

 lery open to the public, all such gifts to be upon the express condition that the 

 National Gallery at Washington, admin'stered by the Smithsonian Inst'tute, 

 shall have the option and right, without cost, to take, reclaim, and own any 

 picture for their collection, provided they exercise such opt'on and right at any 

 time dur.'ng the five-year period beginning ten years after the artist's death 

 and ending fifteen years after his death; and, if such option and r'glit is not 

 exercised during such period, the picture shall remain and be the property of 

 the institution to which it was first given. 



