116 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



instrument at the Speedwell Iron Works, New Jersey, about the year 

 1840. 



From the widow of Professor Baird was received a valuable collection 

 of nearly eighteen hundred foreign and American postage-stamps, gath- 

 ered by Professor Baird. 



The Oranauoc " :;::irtment, U. S. Army, transferred to the National 

 Museum a number of interesting war relics, including a large section of 

 an oak tree riddled with bullets, from the battle field at Appomattox 

 Court House. ' 



To the collection of autograph letters and documents were added 

 commissions signed by each of the Presidents of the United States, and 

 deeds and letters, with autographs, of many eminent men. 



To the Washington collection was added the original plaster model 

 of the bronze statue of Washington, designed by William Rudolf O'Dono- 

 van in 1887, erected at Washington's headquarters, Newburgh, New 

 York, according to act of Congress of June, 1886. The attitude is com- 

 memorative of Peace, representing Washington in the act of sheathing 

 his sword at the close of the Kevolutionary War. Accompanying the 

 statue is the certificate of the sculptor, in which he says : " This statue is 

 the size of life, and in the matter of facts of proportion is correct, having 

 the small head, the long body, the narrow shoulders, and broad hips of 

 the three full-length portraits by Trumbull and of the statue by Houdon 

 in the State-house at Richmond. The head is from the life cast made 

 by Houdon at Mount Vernon in 1785, which has been little known to 

 artists and not at all to the public until within the last ten years, and 

 has not been used, save by Mr. O'Donovan in the making of this statue.'' 



The Smithsonian Institution during the year transferred to the Mu- 

 seum its collection of portraits of American and foreign scientists and 

 men prominent in political or civil life. This series includes nearly 

 twentyrfive hundred engravings and photographs, and will be a valuable 

 nucleus for the formation of a national gallery of portraits of represent- 

 ative men. 



A pair of silver-mounted flint-lock pistols, once the property of Gen- 

 eral Lafayette, have been deposited by Mr. William Burnett. 



Last catalogue entry in June, 1887, 125335 ; first catalogue entry in 

 fiscal year beginning July 1, 1887, 125336 ; last catalogue entry in June, 

 1888, 125887; total number of entries, 552, representing 1,016 speci- 

 mens ; there are about 2,000 specimens on hand not catalogued. 



