HoLLicK : Interrelations — Association, IMuseum, City 195 



permanent abode ; but the museum could not exist without the 

 Association. 



relation between the city and its public museums 



The essential relations that obtain between the city and its pub- 

 lic museums are those of landlord and tenant. 



In connection with our association the city leases the building 

 for our use as a public museum. All the other museum buildings 

 were constructed by and are owned by the city. The city also 

 provides for the furnishing of the museums with cases, shelving, 

 etc., necessary for the exhibition and storage of specimens and 

 books ; and desks, filing cabinets, etc., and other equipment neces- 

 sary for the administrative and curatorial work of the museums. 

 The several museum corporations occupy the buildings, and in lieu 

 of paying rent, install and arrange therein their property, i. e., 

 their collections and libraries, for the entertainment and instruc- 

 tion of the public. The museum corporations have no property 

 rights in the buildings which they occupy, or in the furniture and 

 other equipment purchased with money provided by the city. 

 The city has no rights, title to or property interests in the speci- 

 mens and books installed in the buildings, and it is of the 

 utmost importance that this latter fact should be clearly under- 

 stood. In other words our association owns absolutely every 

 specimen in our museum and every book, map, picture, document, 

 etc., in our library, as is the case in connection with each of the 

 other museum corporations. 



It had not occurred to me until quite recently that there could 

 ever have been any misunderstanding on this point, and I was 

 astonished and very much concerned when I learned that such 

 was the case. In certain quarters, so I was informed, the im- 

 pression prevailed that the Britton Cottage, having been given to 

 the Association, thus automatically became the property of the 

 city. This is a serious matter, for the reason that it deters many 

 persons from donating valuable specimens to the museum, and 

 property in general to the Association, under the erroneous im- 

 pression that such donations would thereby become public prop- 

 erty ; and in more than one instance I have had to assure pros- 



