THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. » 



letter of Dr. Doddridge of England. There were also, in 

 this lot, forty-eight old MSS. sermons, of the last cen- 

 tury. 



At the last annual meeting, Mr. Ross Turner referred 

 to the condition of many of the old portraits in the Socie- 

 ty's rooms, as requiring rebacking and restoring, to put 

 them in a proper condition for preservation. The matter 

 was referred to the Fine Arts Committee. This Commit- 

 tee has since had the work thoroughly done, and now all 

 the portraits and other paintings belonging to the Society 

 are in first class order. 



The Publications of the Society have progressed favor- 

 al)ly this year. The first part of Vol. ol of the Historical 

 Collections has been issued, and the second part, con- 

 cluding the volume is now in press and nearly ready for 

 issue. The first part of Vol. 27 of the Bulletin has been 

 published, which includes the Annual Report for 1895. 

 There does not appear to be much of a supply of good 

 material fitted for publication in the Bulletin. The Visit- 

 or's Guide was issued under the imprint of the Essex In- 

 stitute. The first of the special catalogues of the Institute 

 Library w^as issued early in the year and w\as devoted to 

 the Special Library on China. Among the leading arti- 

 cles in the Collections were : 



A Historic Ball Room, by Robert S. Rantoul ; List of 

 Salem Vessels issued by Timo. Orne, John Nutting, Jr., 

 and John Higginson, 17.57, 1758, compiled by Geo. H. 

 Allen ; Lady Deborah Moody, by Mrs. Henry W. Ed- 

 wards ; Some Localities about Salem, by Henry M. 

 Brooks; Memoir of Edmund B. Willson by Robert S. 

 Rantoul. 



Which is respectfully submitted, 



Henry M. Brooks, 



ESSKX INST. BULLKTIN, VOI, XXVIII 1* 



