12 Transactions of tme American Institute. 



repetition of old ideas, although dressed in the most attractive 

 forms of speech. The attendance at the Polytechnic weekly meet- 

 ings has been uniformly large. On several occasions many haver 

 been unable to gain admittance, and your committee again suggest 

 the expediency of providing a larger room for the accommodatiou 

 of this branch of the Institute. 



All of which is respectfully submitted. 



New York, February 5, 1868. 



WARREN ROWELL, Chairman. 

 MIERS CORYELL, Secretary. 



CHEMISTRY, MINERALOGY AND G-EOLOGY. 



The committee on chemistry, mineralogy and geology of the 

 American Institute, respectfully report: 



That the committee was organized March 25, 1867, by the elec- 

 tion of Charles A. Joy as chairman, and R. P. Stevens as secretary. 

 On the 25th of May, 1867, they met to receive a communication 

 from the American Photographical Society, and on that occasion 

 organized a Photographic Section of the Institute by the appoint- 

 ment of the following officers: Lewis M. Rutherfurd, President; 

 John W. Draper, 1st Vice-President; Charles A. Joy, 2d Vice- 

 President; Abram Bogardus, 3d Vice-President; Charles Wager 

 Hull, Corresponding Secretary; Oscar G. Mason, Recording Sec- 

 retary; Henry J. Newton, Treasurer. 



The property of the old society, consisting of many valuable 

 photographs, daguerreotypes, books and objects relating to the 

 history of the art were brought to the Institute, where they are 

 now stored. Some of .the specimens in the collection ai-e of the 

 gi'eatest historical value, as they go to show that daguerreotype 

 portraits were taken in this countrj'- as early as 1839. Other speci- 

 mens prove that microscopic photography, for the illustration of 

 scientific works, was early practiced by members of the American 

 Institute, and afford incontestible evidence that the members of this 

 body bore a prominent part in founding an art which has become of 

 such vast importance to mankind. 



Your committee, therefore, trust that the Institute will appreci- 

 ate the value of the photographic collection, and will take measures 

 to save it from injury or dispersion. 



The meetings of the Photographic Section have been held once 



