322 The Smithsonian Institution 



which money was disbursed at first by the National In- 

 stitute, afterward by the Commissioner of Patents or the 

 Joint Library Committee of Congress. 



After these collections were transferred to the Smithsonian 

 Institution in 1858, the appropriations for maintenance con- 

 tinued year by year, though small in amount. In 1858 the 

 appropriation was $3,650; in 1859, and for eight years fol- 

 lowing, $4,000. The Institution never received any compen- 

 sation for the occupancy of its building. As early as 1856,^ 

 Professor Henry expressed the opinion at an early day that 

 the government might with propriety and advantage purchase 

 the Smithsonian building from the Institution for housing the 

 government collections "of natural history and the fine arts," 

 but no action in that direction was ever taken. 



When these collections were transferred from the Patent 

 Office a series of new cases designed by Thomas U. Walter 

 were erected in the main hall of the Smithsonian building 

 for their display. Great progress has been made in museum 

 methods in the last two decades, but the cases, arrangement, 

 labeling, and taxidermy in the Smithsonian museum thirty- 

 five years ago were probably as good as could be found in 

 any scientific museum in the world at that time. The exhibi- 

 tion of many examples of a single species of animal or min- 

 eral, or of a single kind of ethnological or geological object, 

 was not considered objectionable, and it was a common prac- 

 tice to mount and exhibit type specimens of animals. To 

 such matters as the size of glass in cases, the color of wood- 

 work and labels, the effect of different groupings of speci- 

 mens, little attention was devoted. Indeed, the amount of 

 money spent upon scientific museums was not sufficient for 

 great refinement in display. Collections were exhibited for 

 the satisfaction of the mature man of science, rather than the 



1 " Smithsonian Report," 1856, page 22. 



