66 UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



between the wings and the south pavilion in the several stories be- 

 tween the ground story and the attic, in certain parts of the middle 

 section of the ground story and in the second story balcony openings 

 through the light wells. Marble composes the entire wall finish of 

 the north entrance vestibule and has also been extensively used in the 

 adjoining lobby and in all of the toilet rooms. 



In the east wing, in the central enclosed space in the west wing, 

 and in certain small compartments of the ground story, where the 

 walls have simply been painted, the arched contours of the ceiling 

 construction have been left exposed, though the surfaces are plastered. 

 All ceilings elsewhere below the attic, except that of the auditorium, 

 have been finished flat, metal furring being generally used for the 

 purpose in the ground story but not required in the other stories 

 where the terra cotta construction is normally flat. In the third 

 story the lower surface of the girder coverings is flush with that of 

 the remainder of the ceiling, which is, therefore, uniformly level 

 throughout. In the ground, first and- second stories, however, the 

 structural girders with their terra cotta coverings, extending cross- 

 wise of the wings and ranges and over the piers, project a consider- 

 able distance below the general surface of the ceilings. For appear- 

 ance sake, false girders on metal furring, in imitation of the others, 

 have been built longitudinally from pier to pier throughout each 

 row, completing the general effect of a pronounced paneling of the 

 ceilings. In the ground story the finished girders have a width of 

 3 feet and a projection of 1 foot 9 inches; in the first and second 

 stories they are 1 foot 8 inches wide and project 2 feet 4 inches. 



Other than the decorative plaster work of the south pavilion and 

 north entrance vestibule and lobby, the panel over the north entrance 

 stairs and the treatment of the light wells, molded work is entirely 

 confined to the pier and pilaster caps and bases, and the ceiling 

 girders, the sofiit of each of which is recessed to form an elongated 

 panel, their surfaces being otherwise plain. 



All plastered walls, piers, and ceilings have been painted with 

 several coats of white lead and oil, and finished plainly in accord- 

 ance with a scheme of limited range of light colors, which has been 

 admirably conceived arid carried out. For the main walls and the 

 piers throughout the first and second, or exhibition, stories, a uniform 

 light grayish green has been employed, while the ceilings of these 

 stories and the inner surfaces of the light wells as also of the screen 

 walls in the east and west halls are in ivory and ivory-gray tones. 

 Ivory tones have likewise been used for the plastered surfaces of the 

 south pavilion, the north entrance vestibule and lobby, and the cen- 

 tral hall in the ground story of the north wing. 



The only decorative coloring is furnished by a large painting on 

 canvas, measuring 25 feet long by 11 feet high, which is framed 



