5cS6 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 641 



might be reconciled to the idea of storage of 

 the bulk of the collections if they were in glass 

 cases, easily accessible, but it is quite impos- 

 sible to reconcile the idea of study collections 

 with the character of the storage cases which 

 at the present time are to be found in this in- 

 stitution, for these storage cases are of the 

 flimsiest material, from which it would seem 

 impossible to exclude insects and dust and 

 which apparently might be very easily de- 

 stroyed by fire. The reasons why stored col- 

 lections in ethnology lose their vital interest 

 and deteriorat'j from every point of view and 

 especially fail in the purpose for which they 

 were made are so obvious that it does not seem 

 necessary to dwell longer on the subject. 



Of the three collections above referred to, 

 which represent the new ideals of installation 

 in this museum, namely, the Peruvian, Eskimo 

 and the plains, it may be noted first that while 

 they all have certain elements in common they 

 are not consistent one with another, for it 

 seems that in the two ethnological exhibits it 

 was the intention that no duplicate specimens 

 should be shown, whereas in the Peruvian ex- 

 hibit there is endless duplication. If the 

 Peruvian exhibit is to conform to the other 

 two it should be reduced to one tenth its pres- 

 ent size. It is possible, however, that this is 

 contemplated. As this exhibit even in other 

 respects differs from the two ethnological ex- 

 hibits it may be considered independently of 

 them. Its essential defect is the fact that no- 

 where in the hall is emphasized the salient fea- 

 tures of the culture of the Peruvians, namely, 

 that they were a sessile, agricultural people, 

 living in permanent habitations, possessing 

 domestic animals. On the other hand, we are 

 introduced to such categories as ' objects in 

 stone,' ' objects in wood,' ' objects in bone,' 

 etc., and this fortuitous principle of classifica- 

 tion, of course, makes it exceedingly difficult 

 for the student to obtain any idea of the true 

 character of Peruvian culture. It would seem 

 that in installing this collection an ideal 

 scheme was held in mind, that the exhibition 

 cases were conceived of as containing compart- 

 ments, and each compartment received in ad- 

 vance its label, and that then the attempt was 

 made to find specimens to fit the compart- 



ments. Where this was not possible the com- 

 partment was left vacant. The absurdity of 

 this ideal scheme of installation, if carried to 

 a logical conclusion, can be easily imagined. 

 It only remains to add that the scientific in- 

 terest of a great and valuable collection has 

 been almost entirely lost. 



An equally absurd phase of this kind of in- 

 stallation is seen in the rearrangement of one 

 section of the Chinese hall, where bronzes have 

 been assembled in certain cases and arranged 

 chronologically, centuries and epochs not rep- 

 resented in the collection being indicated by 

 empty shelves. That these handsome dark 

 bronzes have been placed on the darkest side 

 of the hall is, of course, a minor detail. 



Upon examining the Eskimo and plains ex- 

 hibit it seems that a similar ideal scheme was 

 conceived of and that the great collections 

 which existed in the museum from these two 

 regions were searched to find specimens to fill 

 in the pockets of this scheme. The two col- 

 lections differ in many ways in detail and 

 must be considered separately. The Eskimo 

 exhibit as it stands conceives the Eskimo as a 

 unit and makes such differences in culture as 

 exist, for example, between that of the Green- 

 lander and that of the Alaskan of very sec- 

 ondary importance. The very fact of any 

 difference existing between the Eskimo of the 

 east and of the west is practically lost sight 

 of in the exhibit, and thus also is lost the op- 

 portunity to illustrate the influence of the 

 contact of one culture upon another. Of 

 course, if the culture of the Eskimo is a unit, 

 it is quite unessential that one should know 

 what tribe or tribes lie to the south of them 

 or how they have been influenced by these 

 tribes. It may be pointed out next that apart 

 from this defect the collection gives an impres- 

 sion of the Eskimo which is false and mis- 

 leading. Prominently displayed in the center 

 of the exhibit is an Eskimo woman fishing in 

 the ice. Owing to its position it might be 

 taken as representing a typical phase of Eski- 

 mo culture. Thus a false impression is con- 

 veyed, as the Eskimo are not essentially fishers 

 but hunters of sea mammals. Taking the 

 flsherwoman on her own merits, however, the 

 details of the group are misleading, to say 



