EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 



OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



The undersigned, Trustees of the American Institute, in con- 

 formity with the Law of May 5, 1841, respectfully report the acts 

 of the Institute for the year 1859 : 



One of the first acts of the Institute was the arrangement made 

 to lease the property No. 351 Broadway, for three years from the 

 1st of May, 1859, being the longest time allowed by the by-laws ; 

 the gross amount obtained for these premises was the sum of 

 eleven thousand dollars per annum. In order to obtain accom- 

 modations for the business of the Institute, the library, reading 

 rooms, etc., a lease for the same period of three years was secured 

 from the "Board of Control" of the "Cooper Union," comprising 

 the rooms No's 21, 22, 23, with the occasional use of No. 24, at a 

 rental of seventeen hundred and fifty dollars per annum. By this 

 arrangement, the Trustees hope to realize a gain of |5,750 per 

 annum for the benefit of the Institute. 



The sad loss by fire at the Crystal Palace, occasioned great 

 disappointment to exhibitors, who desired an opportunity of 

 duplicating their articles on exhibition and destroyed at the 

 Thirtieth Annual Fair, and in accordance with the obligation due 

 them, the Institute felt especially bound to hold a Fair, even with 

 the knowledge that an exhibition would entail on them an addi- 

 tional loss. 



The Trustees and Board of Managers secured, as the only fea- 

 sible place, the "Palace Garden," near the Sixth avenue, between 

 Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets, where the Fair was held from 

 the 21st of September to the 5th of November. The space occu- 

 pied covered about 200 feet square, on which was erected sheds 

 and tents, to protect the articles from the weather. These premi- 

 ses, however, proved inadequate for the proper display of the 

 numerous articles offered for exhibition, and left little room for 

 the crowd who daily thronged the Garden, consequently the re- 

 ceipts fell far short of those of previous fairs. 



The Board of Agriculture, in connection with the New York 

 Horticultural Society, held an exhibition at Hamilton Park, with 

 extensive arrangements of grounds for stock and farming imple- 



