BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 297 



Irish implements of the stone age and one of modern Cherokee and 

 other pottery. 



ART. A collection of 1734 casts of Assyrian, Egyptian, Greek, Ro- 

 man, renaissance and modern sculpture, was presented by Granville 

 G. Valentine. There are also engravings, manuscripts, drawings, 

 etc., and a large Brussels tapestry, The Sacrifice in the Temple, made 

 by F. van den Hecke, early in the i7th century. This tapestry meas- 

 ures 15 x 20 feet and is said to be the largest ever brought to this coun- 

 try. There is also a similar smaller tapestry, Fortune distributing 

 her Gifts. 



HISTORICAL SKETCH. Established for the purpose of preserving 

 and accumulating objects of archeology, anthropology, and other arts, 

 and for publishing literary, historical, and scientific papers, according 

 to the provisions made by will of the late Mann S. Valentine, of Rich- 

 mond. The museum was incorporated in 1894 and opened to the 

 public in 1898. 



FINANCIAL SUPPORT. The donor provided an endowment fund 

 of $50,000 for the maintenance of the museum. A small income is 

 derived from life memberships, door receipts, and the sale of catalogs. 



BUILDING. The collections are housed in the former residence of 

 the donor of the museum, built in 1812 and having the original doors, 

 silver knobs, locks, and hinges. 



ADMINISTRATION. By a self-perpetuating board of trustees of 10 

 members. 



LIBRARY. In 1898, at the opening of the museum, the collection 

 of books contained 3300 volumes. 



ATTENDANCE. Open to the public on wee'k-days from 10 to 5.- 

 An admission fee of 25 cents is charged, except on Saturdays. Tn 

 the past two years and a half there have been 12,000 visitors. 



VIRGINIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 



The society maintains a large gallery of portraits of Virginians and 

 others; a small collection of historical relics; and a library containing 

 also a valuable collection of manuscripts. W. G. Stanard, corres- 

 ponding secretary. 



VIRGINIA STATE LIBRARY. (State Capitol.) 



The library has 8 pieces of sculpture; 50 prints and engravings; and 

 105 oil paintings, chiefly historical portraits. 



