REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1907. 15 



loans should be mentioned twenty-one paintings from the Lucius 

 Tuckerman collection, and among the gifts, one by the Hon. J. B. 

 Henderson, a Regent of the Institution, and one by Miss Eleanor 

 Blodgett, of New York. 



During the latter part of the winter the gallery received a most 

 substantial and gratifying recognition from Mr. William T. Evans, of 

 Montclair, New Jersey, the well-known connoisseur and patron of 

 art, whose contribution, made without solicitation, consisted of .V2 

 paintings in oil by American artists of established reputation. Un- 

 fortunately, no place could be found in the Museum building for 

 this valuable collection, and it was necessary to provide elsewhere for 

 its temporary keeping. This has been accomplished through the 

 courtesy of the trustees of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, where the 

 pictures are now hung, filling the greater part of the large atrium. 



Leaving out of consideration the Freer collection, which is to 

 remain at the home of its generous donor during his lifetime, the 

 National Gallery now has in its possession valuable paintings and 

 other art objects for whose exhibition under suitable conditions it 

 is important to arrange without delay. For this purpose there is no 

 better place in the existing buildings than the second story of the 

 main part of the Smithsonian building, a hall 200 feet long by 50 

 feet wide. It will require some changes to adapt it to the hanging 

 and lighting of pictures, and some improvement in its approaches, 

 which are now inconvenient for the public, involving an expenditure 

 greater than is possible from the current appropriation, but it is 

 hoped that Congress will provide for this work at its forthcoming 

 session. 



NEW BUILDING FOR THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Work on the new building has not progressed as rapidly as was 

 expected, owing to delays in the delivery of the granite which is to 

 compose the greater part of the outer walls. The fault has lain 

 both with the quarry and with the railroad leading therefrom, the 

 former having already violated the time limit of its contract by a 

 considerable period, and the latter having neglected to furnish the 

 necessary cars when called upon to do so. This delay has not only 

 caused annoyance, but is resulting in a pecuniary loss to the Gov- 

 ernment through the deterioration of large collections held in 

 storage, and in other ways. 



At the beginning of the fiscal year, July 1, 1906, the basement 

 walls and piers and the steel framework and brick arches resting 

 upon them had been completed except at the south and north 

 pavilions, and work had been commenced on the court walls of the 

 main story. The few architectural changes contemplated in the two 

 pavilions, the former containing the main entrance and rotunda, the 



