BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 143 



architecture, sculpture, painting, and the minor arts. It now consists 

 of 2500 plates and 300 lantern slides, and is being rapidly added to. 



HISTORICAL SKETCH. The Worcester Art Museum was organized 

 and incorporated in 1896 at the instigation of the late Hon. Stephen 

 Salisbury, who gave a tract of land and the sum of $100,000, of which 

 one-half was set aside for building and the remainder for maintenance. 

 A further sum of about $35,000 was raised by popular subscription. 

 The museum was opened May 10, 1898, with a loan exhibition formed 

 by the cooperation of the Worcester Art Museum and the Worcester 

 Art Society. On the death of the founder in 1905 the museum became 

 his residuary legatee. 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT. From endowment, $142,697 ; from member- 

 ships, $520; from admissions, $92; from other sources, $17; total, 

 $143,326. The last report of the museum for 1908-9 shows a total 

 property of about $3,400,000 of which $2,790,000 is income bearing. 

 The balance covers the value of the collections, buildings, etc. 



BUILDING. A fireproof building was erected in 1897-8 at a 

 cost of about $106,000. It provides approximately 10,000 square feet 

 of floor space for exhibitions, in addition to the staircase halls. 



ADMINISTRATION. By a director, responsible to a board of twelve 

 trustees, through a committee on the museum. 



SCOPE. The aim of the museum is the promotion of art and art 

 education. It maintains a school of drawing, painting, and design in 

 the Salisbury house, with about 90 pay pupils and 10 scholarships. 

 From 1900 to 1907, it has held summer exhibitions of the work of 

 contemporary artists in competition for prizes. In 1908 prize exhibi- 

 tions were changed to exhibitions from which one or more paintings 

 were bought. A course of lectures is given annually in the museum, 

 under the auspices of the Worcester Art Society. This course has 

 been supplemented since 1908 by a course of informal talks descrip- 

 tive of the exhibits in the museum, some of which are illustrated with 

 a stereopticon, held weekly during the winter months. 



LIBRARY. 750 volumes, accumulated by gift and purchase. 



PUBLICATIONS. Annual reports have been published since 1899, 

 and a Bulletin, beginning with 1910. 



ATTENDANCE. Open to the public on week-days, except Monday, 

 from 10 to 12 and 2 to 4.30, and on Sundays from 1.30 to 5. Admission 

 is free except Tuesday and Thursday, when an entrance fee of 2 5 cents 

 is charged. Since the opening there have been 309,000 visitors, of 

 whom 299,000 have come on free days, and 10,000 on pay days. 



