74 6 The Smithsonian Institution 



the Smithsonian Institution from its foundation, fifty years 

 ago, has been to the American anthropologist a foster parent 

 of original research. 



This is, however, but one aspect of the influences which 

 this Institution has exerted on the study of man. A rich 

 and well-arranged collection of anthropological material not 

 only attracts the scholar, forming the basis of the researches 

 of the specialist, but also is a great educational factor to the 

 community at large. A well-arranged museum is an un- 

 written encyclopedia, teaching many who are not reached 

 by other methods. The wealth of anthropological objects 

 spread before the visitor to the museum exerts a profound 

 influence on the intelligence of the community. Thousands 

 visit a collection, and inspect its anthropological treasures, 

 who never open a scientific book. The mind is, indeed, dull 

 that is not in some way affected by simply strolling through 

 the museum, and hundreds of visitors have had an interest 

 excited in anthropology from such a visit. This method of 

 diffusion of knowledge is no less a function of a museum than 

 research and publication, and in point of fact it touches the 

 multitude, while technical science appeals to the few. From 

 what has been written it may be evident that a treatment 

 of the influences of the Smithsonian Institution on anthro- 

 pology, past and present, falls under two headings, research 

 and publication ; collections and their installation. The 

 former appeals especially to the student, and commonly 

 measures the standing of an institution among scholars ; the 

 latter concerns the general public, and determines its value 

 as an educational institution among the many. While I 

 shall emphasize the former, since it more readily submits to 

 analysis, the greatness of my subject admits no such limita- 

 tion. The silent lessons daily taught by ocular demonstra- 

 tions we have no scale to measure, no statistics to tabulate 



