AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL EXPOSITIONS. 235 



means of objects in the best manner possible is the result sought for 

 and attained most perfectly by those who installed the Government 

 exhibits. 



It is, of course, understood that the purpose of the Government 

 exhibit is to familiarize the public with the methods of carrying on 

 the functions of the different departments. Thus, in the post-office 

 exhibit there is shown the entire sequence of postage stamps, both of 

 the United States and foreign countries, the various kinds of mail 

 bags, figures of the mail carriers in their different uniforms, and 

 finally models or pictures of the methods of transportation. The 

 Treasury Department shows the working of the mint by the striking 

 of commemorative medals, while a full series of the existing medals 

 and coins of the country are displayed in cases on the wall. The 

 functions of the Department of the Interior are shown by exhibits 

 of a series of models of some important invention, as, for instance, a 

 sequence showing the development of the sewing machine. In this 

 way for of course the blanks and other documents are shown the 

 working of the Patent Office is demonstrated; while the Geological 

 Survey, also of the Department of the Interior, presents a series of 

 minerals, showing the economical wealth of the country, together 

 with its maps and reports, results of work accomplished. Everything 

 can not be shown, but a most excellent idea of what each department 

 does can be had from a study of the exhibits of the Government. 



Next in importance to the Government Building is the one de- 

 voted to commerce, and here are usually to be found the weak points 

 of our American expositions. In lieu of a series of exhibits showing 

 the progress in a given industry or trade, we find too frequently a 

 collection of nondescript articles without much if any relationship to 

 each other. This is due primarily to a lack of proper organization in 

 soliciting exhibits, and also because the awards or medals of the jurors 

 are so often of no relative value. The second condition is an outcome 

 of the first. To be more specific, in Nashville there were no exhibits 

 from any one of the larger and well-known silver firms, and yet 

 American silverware has a recognized status as one of the most suc- 

 cessful of our American art industries. Cut glassware is another 

 branch in which our artisans or art workmen have achieved splendid 

 results, and still there were no exhibits from art glassmakers in Nash- 

 ville. Certain varieties of art pottery and art glassware, such as the 

 Rookwood pottery and the Tiffany glass, are seldom seen at these 

 smaller expositions. In consequence the juror makes an award to 

 the best article of its kind on exhibition, which may be but a third-rate 

 article compared with others; still it is the best shown in the exposi- 

 tion, and therefore worthy of recognition. Another unfortunate 

 feature must be mentioned at this point. It is the decorative fea- 



