1921] THAL, THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM. 9 



secured about 7,000 square feet of space on the ground floor of the 

 "Exposition Building" in which the Museum's collections then found a 

 new home. This building is shown in figure 1. 



About the end of 1883, a large collection of natural history objects 

 was exhibited by Ward's Natural Science Establishment of Rochester, 

 at the Exposition Association's annual exhi1)it. This collection aroused 

 so much interest that a fund of $12,000 was readily raised by public 

 subscription and the collection was presented to the city, being added to 

 the original collections from the rooms of the German-English Academy. 



On Way 24th, 1884, these collections, newly installed in the Exposi- 

 tion Building, were thrown open to the public with fitting ceremonies. 



In the year 1886. the Public Museum received the F. S. Perkins 

 collection of over 3,000 archeological copper and other specimens from 

 Wisconsin. In 1893, the Board of Trustees purchased the well known 

 Haskell collection of Wisconsin archeological specimens. In 1896, pub- 

 lic spirited citizens subscribed $1,855 toward the purchase for the Mu- 

 seum of the H. H. Hayssen collection of archeological and ethnological 

 specimens. The balance of the price of the collections, $645,00, was 

 paid by the Trustees. In 1897, various persons interested in the growth 

 of the Museum contributed $800 for the purchase of a collection of 

 mineralogical specimens ofifered by i\Ir. P. P. Peck. 



A number of other large and valuable collections, which in the course 

 of years were donated to the Museum, should here be mentioned. The 

 most valuable collection which was bequeathed to the Museum, is the 

 Rudolph J. Nunnemacher collection, consisting of 1,815 objects, com- 

 prising arms, armor, carvings, ceramics, textiles, e C. valued at over 

 $70,000, to which was added another bequest of $10,000 from which to 

 purchase future additions to increase this magnificent gift. 



Another gift of very great value is the Geo. A. W^est collection of 

 Indian pipes, mostly from Wisconsin. This is recognized as the finest 

 pipe collection in America. There are also the B. F. Goss collection of 

 birds' nests and eggs, the Ernst von Baumbach collection of minerals, 

 and the Mayer collection of boots and shoes of all nations, all gifts of 

 inestimable value, which have largely contributed to the rapid growth of 

 the Museum. 



From the outset the collections in the Museum grew so rapidly that 

 the question of additional exhibition space was a most pressing one. 

 The Board of Trustees and others interested in the welfare of the city 

 had for years cherished the thought of erecting a building in which the 

 Public iMuseum and the Public Library could find a joint and perma- 



