938 REPORT—1896. 
the cost would be only nominal. A system of dividing the groups of cases into 
bays by brick and slate shelvings at intervals would still further reduce any 
possibility of combustion. 
Regarding fittings, one opinion is that glass cases to protect smaller specimens 
would be necessary. It was already proposed to cover such things by large 
sheets of glass screwed down; and such covering would be effective, and cost 
little more than the glass at 3d. a square foot. Where a permanent fitted case 
was required such can be thoroughly well made and finished at 1s. 4d. a cubic 
foot. ‘The amount already provided in the estimate for shelving and glass would 
allow of adding 3,000 cubic feet of glass cases yearly if such were required. 
Another opinion is that dust would be so serious that a great part of the 
things ‘must be placed in good cases.’ It is already proposed to filter all-the air 
passing into the building, which would be quite practicable in a place where no 
crowds would assemble and but little change of air was wanted. And the use of 
sheets of glass laid over boxes and shelves may be made quite as dust-tight as the 
best made cases if a line of cotton wool be laid to bed the glass upon. It must 
be considered that the conditions of exhibiting would be very different from those 
in a crowded city museum. , 
Regarding registration, the difficulty and time involved in photographic regis- 
tration seems to be overestimated by those only accustomed to the tedious work 
of arranging objects on a screen in an ordinary room. By having two fixed scales 
of reduction (say $ and ;4,) the need of focussing and time required for that 
would be abolished, for with the rapid plates now used a very small stop is 
enough, and differences due to thickness of objects would entirely disappear. The 
proposal is to have a glass table (say), 80 x 100 inches, with white ground below, 
on which to lay out objects for 4, scale, avoiding all the delay of fixing on 
screens and all the shadows; a second glass shelf (say), 16 x 20 inches, at a high 
level for small things on } scale, the camera fixed looking down vertically on the 
tables, and two slides for plates according to which table was in use. This 
would give suitable scales on whole plate size. The lighting should be quickly 
adjustable by strips of blind round three sides of the room. With such a routine 
arrangement a man at labourer’s wages would be quite capable of working it for 
all ordinary instances. 
In the matter of constitution two opinions are that such a repository should 
belong to one definite existing museum only. This would be very well for that 
one museum; but there are many museums which require such an addition; and 
it would tie down what is essentially required to be a very elastic and experi- 
mental institution to the existing routine of one body whose ideas are all based on 
a very different order of things. To expect any one body with the traditions and 
system which are requisite for a very different institution to adopt and work 
flexibly in an entirely changed set of conditions is hardly promising. The reason 
for hinting at a combined representation of many bodies on the management is 
that no one set of traditions would prevail, and an energetic Keeper might have a 
chance of a free policy. In any case the constitution is by no means an essential 
Deak and I merely express the difficulty that I see in keeping new wine in old 
skins. 
On the subject of allowing a donor the privilege of making conditions about his 
donations for (say) thirty years, one opinion is that no such conditions should be 
allowed. That is purely a matter of experience, and of no essential importance. 
If people will give things as freely when they are not allowed any voice as to their 
disposal times have changed. The past history has been that too many collections 
have been bound by a name, not for thirty years only, but far longer. 
On the very important question of site two opinions are against the requisite 
cheap land being within half an hour of London. It is very probable that it might 
be requisite to go further out, an hour from London. The speed varies much on 
different lines, any line east of Aldershot being much slower than others. The 
half-hour from London by good trains reaches to Harold Wood, Hatfield, Watford, 
Slough, and Aldershot. The hour circle touches Witham, Hitchin, Leighton, 
Reading, and nearly Basingstoke; that is, half Essex, most of Hertfordshire, half 
