REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 21 



tion, and the time has now come when serious consideration must be 

 given to securing adequate quarters for these national collections. 



I can not pass without mention of the very interesting exhibition of 

 laces, embroideries, and other art textiles, as also the historical cos- 

 tumes, especially those representing the several administrations at 

 the White House since the period of President Washington. I will 

 not attempt to describe any of the gowns recently received, further 

 than to say that they include a lavender silk dress worn by Mrs. Fill- 

 more, one of black moire worn by Mrs. Pierce at the inauguration of 

 President Pierce in 1853, and a pale green brocade worn by Mrs. 

 Cleveland during President Cleveland's first administration. 



The division of textiles has greatly increased in popular interest 

 through the installation of a series of machines illustrating methods 

 of manufacture as well as exhibits of the raw and finished products. 



Likewise, mineral technology is being illustrated by models and 

 products, showing the manufacture of mica plate from material here- 

 tofore thrown away as waste, the preparation of asbestos products, 

 and the manufacture of graphite and its industrial products. 



The Museum is participating in the expositions at San Francisco 

 and San Diego, although the very small allotment allowed the Institu- 

 tion and its branches from the appropriation for Government ex- 

 hibits permitted only a comparatively small display at San Fran- 

 cisco. At the San Diego Exposition, however, for which no appro- 

 priation was granted for Government exhibits, it was possible, 

 through cooperation with the exposition management, to prepare an 

 interesting exhibit of physical anthropology and one illustrating 

 American aboriginal industries. The former exhibit, more fully de- 

 scribed on a previous page, is an entirely novel one. It illustrates 

 man's evolution, his development or growth, his racial, sexual and 

 individual variations, and the causes, other than normal senility, 

 which result in the decline of the human organism. 



For many years it has been possible to aid the schools and colleges 

 of the country in their teaching of natural history through the dis- 

 tribution of duplicate material. During the past year 163 sets of 

 such duplicates, aggregating 14,843 specimens, were thus distributed. 

 And about 8,000 duplicate specimens, nearly three-fifths of which 

 were plants, were utilized in exchanges with other museums and in- 

 stitutions. 



The total number of visitors to the older Museum building during 

 the year was 133,202, and to the new building 321,712. The latter 

 aggregate includes 59,577 Sunday visitors to the new building, the 

 older building not being open on that day. 



The Museum issued its usual annual report and series of scientific 

 papers, the total distribution for the year aggregating 54,000 volumes 

 and pamphlets. 



