REPORT OF WM. E. CURTIS, ASSISTANT TO COMMISSIONER 

 GENERAL, IN CHARGE OF THE HISTORICAL SECTION, 

 EXHIBIT OF THE UNITED STATES AT THE COLUMBIAN 

 HISTORICAL EXPOSITION, MADRID, SPAIN, 1892. 



WASHINGTON, I). C., April 5, 1893. 



SIR: I have the honor to hand you herewith my report as your 

 assistant in charge of the historical section of the exhibit of the United 

 States at the Columbian Historical Exposition at Madrid, Spain, 

 1892-93. 



The delay of Congress in authorizing the participation of the United 

 States in the Spanish celebration of the Columbian anniversary, and 

 in making an appropriation to defray the necessary expense, left no 

 time to prepare a historical exhibit suitable to the importance of the 

 Exposition and the event it was intended to commemorate. This is 

 much to be regretted for many reasons. 



There is in existence much historical material concerning the early 

 voyages to and the exploration and settlement of the United States by 

 Spanish soldiers, sailors, colonists, and missionaries that has never 

 been assembled or described, and which will undoubtedly disappear 

 unless some steps are taken to collect and preserve it. Some of it is 

 for sale ; more could be obtained as permanent loans or gifts if the 

 owners were properly approached and adequate assurances could be 

 given of its protection and preservation. There is no association in 

 existence, so far as I have been able to ascertain, whose motive is the 

 collection and preservation of Spanish remains in North America, 

 although there is no more interesting or attractive field for the student 

 and collector. The Southern and Southwestern States and Territories, 

 which were once a portion of the Spanish domain particularly New 

 Mexico, Arizona, and California still shelter many interesting relics 

 of Spanish occupation, and could have contributed a large number 

 of valuable objects to a historical collection at Madrid had there 

 been time and means to secure them for the United States exhibit. 

 Such collections are brought together much more easily by public 

 authority, and upon some similar occasion, when the attention of those 

 interested can be concentrated, than by the slow and patient search of 

 the curators of our museums; and so favorable an opportunity for 

 gathering the relics of the Spanish epoch in the history of the United 

 States may never again occur. 



