Report of a Journey Around the World. 



15 



On a mission such as mine one turns at his earliest opportunity 

 to the British Museum, that greatest repository of the museum 

 world. Our visits were not once but whenever we could find a few 

 hours, but I speak of the results from the combined experience. 



The removal of the biological contents 

 of the museum to Kensington certainlj^ 

 has left more room for the material por- 

 tion, and it is perhaps fortunate that 

 the works of civilized man in literature, 

 art and science have not been separated 

 from the products of what we are accus- 

 tomed to call his uncivilized life ; the 

 statue of the Polynesian god is still un- 

 der the same roof with the Attic images 

 of the gods of Olympus ; the pottery of 

 Miuoan make is cheek by jowl with the 

 Greek vases of the proudest Athenian 

 age ; the quaint and unlovely figures 

 from Rapanui are in cases but a few feet 

 removed from the Elgin marbles! 



Even in the new wing the architects 

 have evidently had control and the som- 

 bre, temple-like strudlure of the old 

 museum building has been faithfully 

 adhered to with little regard for the 

 exigencies of exhibition. And while 

 on this matter of museum buildings 

 we may cross the city some miles to Kensington and find in the 

 Biological Museum the same architectural trouble. While the 

 outsitle dress pleases the eye the ecclesiastical interior seems 

 wholly unsuited to the wants of a museum. Director Skiff of the 

 Field Museum of Chicago seems to have the right way when he 

 makes the plans for the interior of his museum and allows the 

 architect to attend to the tailoring . In Europe old palaces have 

 so long been turned over for muse vim purposes that it is hard 

 to shake off that pernicious custom, but museum buildings are 

 springing up, where the yoke is shaken off, and better than palaces 



are being built for the housing of all-important collections. " 



[163] 



CARVED WOODEN CUP, 

 BRITISH MUSEUM. 



