FIFTY-FOURTH CONGRESS, 1895-1897. 17138 
- thousands of visitors from all parts of the United States, who pass 
through its doors each year, as is shown in the following table: 
Number of visitors since 1881. 
Year. building. building. Total. 
fT cos Jdagend Gees ocean ee te a a Re 150,000 | 100,000} 250,000 
Hei meee 42 892 ei NSE ees O88 ed 522 ot outs Sa eeetey cleat ye. cdot ance 167,455 | 152,744) 320,199 
BED. ss wcating shtbb8 J: S ae en ae OS eee ee Ae eS ae, 202,188 | 104,823 307,011 
(og (AGN CTY) se Soaee tee USS He acer aeso a4 8b Sana SeSna bee 97, 661 41, 565 139, 226 
Ue 50 es cae ee a a I S| nee ar eo GAT cs 205,026} 102,093] 307,119 
Pees eenere ante Saerrnsara-haded = begs of ot felons shies boda cek oe 174, 225 88,960 | 263, 185 
LEv Ai San te Ee Boer oe sos Serer So nee ae oe ree i eee 216, 562 98,552 | 315,114 
LLM Fell con steastisoe SERGE coe eee ere ee ae Paes 249,665 | 102,863] 352,528 
ne nomena eens fh cons scene). aoe EI AR 374,843 | 149,618 | 524,461 
Let st ae cb 550.8 350 BEC BBE Ot Heong JOSS Cop Jaqee Conee iE CEO Sees 345 Seon oe 274,324 120, 894 395, 218 
LS DSH Lo ng aap bien SRS RG SSCS SOCIOL ACM SO | Saeoe Aon. HSCser SeAaer see 286, 426 F 111, 669 398, 095 
eT etna Jere © comin jt ett eee eee eee eee eee teen eee e nee e eee eenee 269, 825 114, 817 384, 642 
Re eee eens ten 282 SEL ee te lies sa JAE 319,930 | 174,188} 494,118 
LARCH Ls Os DS Se S86 Qe ord ea obnot ODUEr aes 5 AAEDS OS OS 0 S00CRc.) eeee reer 195, 748 103, 910 299, 658 
ete eel iain sie ie atnlsip eis vipim ae sisis pone io.) v oe sieln vessel Weie hierciae 196, 375 109, 847 306, 222 
; 3, 380, 253 | 1,676,543 | 5,056,796 
a Years of Presidential inaugurations. 
It 1s also accessory to public education through the distribution of 
the duplicate specimens in the Museum, which are made up into sets, 
accurately named, and given to public institutions in all parts of the 
country. 
The history of the Museum is divided into three periods: First, 
that from the foundation of the Smithsonian Institution to 1857, during 
which time specimens were collected purely and solely to serve as. 
materials for research, no special effort having been made to publicly 
exhibit them or to utilize them except as a foundation for scientific 
description and theory. Second, the period from 1857, when the Insti- 
tution assumed the custody of the ‘‘ National Cabinet of Curiosities,” 
to 1876. During this period the Museum became a place of deposit 
for scientific material which had already been studied, this material, 
so far as practicable, being exhibited to the public, and thus made to 
serve an educational purpose. Third, the present period, beginning 
in the year 1876, during which the Museum has entered upon a career 
of active work in gathering collections and exhibiting them on account 
of their educational value. 
During the first period the main object of the Museum was scien- 
tific Yesearch; in the second the establishment became a museum of 
record as well as of research; while in the third period there is grow- 
ing up also the idea of a abio education. 
The three ideas, record, research, and education, cooperative and 
mutually helpful as they are, are essential to the development of 
H. Doc. 732——108 
