REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 31 



kind in the world. The gift came from Mr. Hugo Worch, of Wash- 

 ington, D. C, a student of the history of the pianoforte in America, 

 who has been assembling a collection of these instruments, which he 

 offered to the Museum in order to provide for their permanent 

 preservation. While accommodations for the entire series may not 

 be found, 70 instruments have already been delivered, the selection 

 following lines to best illustrate the progress and development in 

 piano making down to about 1850. Too much praise can not be 

 accorded Mr. Worch for this splendid donation, which now includes 

 24 examples of European make and 46 of American make. With few 

 exceptions, the latter are the product of manufacturers in Philadel- 

 phia, New York, Baltimore, and Boston, and represent, among 

 others, the names of Taws, Albrecht, Harper, Geib, Kearsing, Loud, 

 Hisky, Osborne, Nunns, Goodrich, Stewart, Chickering, Meyer, Bab- 

 cock, and Wise. The earliest of the American pianos is of date about 

 1790 and of the European about 1770. While in most cases the ex- 

 amples are no longer in playing shape, the mechanism is preserved, 

 and some remain in excellent condition. 



In the section of ceramics the more noteworthy additions con- 

 sisted of two loans, one including an old porcelain rice bowl and a 

 tea set of cloisonne on porcelain from Miss Julia H. Chadwick, the 

 other being a collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelains from 

 Miss Eliza R. Scidmore. The division of graphic arts received 

 a large number of specimens mainly required for filling gaps in the 

 collections, among the more important being illustrations of a process 

 for color printing from photographs and of the rapid rotary in- 

 taglio process, besides many examples of lithogi-aphs, collotypes, 

 and other prints. 



The additions to the memorial collection of American history were 

 numerous and of great variety, the most important being loans, in 

 which were included a water-color portrait of Washington by James 

 Peale ; articles of military equipment carried by Capt. William Wal- 

 ton during the War of the Revolution; a silver tea service of five 

 pieces once the property of Laura Wolcott, daughter of Oliver 

 Wolcott, a signer of the Declaration of Independence ; a pair of gold 

 and jeweled earrings formerly belonging to Mrs. Rebecca Madison, 

 niece of President Madison; and three gold medals and one of 

 bronze added to the collection of Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary, 

 United States Navy. There was also a large contribution of silver 

 and bronze coins of the nineteenth century, issues of the United 

 States and several foreign countries; and the collection of postage 

 stamps, envelopes, and post cards was very materially increased. 



The exhibition of historical costumes was greatly increased both by 

 gift and loan, most noteworthy being appropriate costumes for repre- 

 senting four additional presidential administrations at the White 



