118 REPORT OF N"ATION"AL MUSEUM, 1925 



Introduction and Distribution, Department of Agriculture, and to 

 him have been referred letters requesting information on silk and 

 artificial silk received by the various Federal departments. 



The curator of history, T. T. Belote, continued work on a paper 

 on the collection of American and European swords in the Museum, 

 which will probably be completed during the coming fiscal year. 

 Much work was also done along various other lines which will ulti- 

 mately serve as the basis of publications on various phases of his- 

 torical museum work, particularly those relating to the science of 

 numismatics. 



The various divisions of the Department of Art and Industries 

 and the Division of History are called upon almost daily for as- 

 sistance, or advice, by individuals engaged in private research along 

 the lines of these varied collections. Every effort is made by the 

 members of the staff to meet such requests, and the valuable collec- 

 tions under their charge are, as far as practicable, placed at the 

 disposal of those engaged in research work. 



DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIMENS 



In furtherance of the organic principle of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution for the " diffusion of knowledge among men," 146 industrial art 

 specimens were distributed by donation, 249 specimens were sent out 

 in exchange, and 2,060 specimens were lent for study or exhibition 

 elsewhere. These gifts consisted of 43 textile specimens and 103 

 study samples of various woods specially prepared for distribution 

 for educational purposes. The loans were chiefly the two traveling 

 exhibits of approximately 100 specimens each, illustrating the prin- 

 cipal processes of the graphic arts, which were lent for display in 

 18 cities as follows : 



Exhibit No. 1 was exhibited at the Milwaiikee Graphic Arts Ex- 

 position, Milwaukee, Wis.; the Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio; 

 Dallas Typothetae, Texas State Fair, Dallas, Tex. ; Louisiana State 

 Museum, New Orleans, La.; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Tex.; 

 Brooks Memorial Art Gallery, Memphis, Tenn. ; Wyoming Historical 

 and Geological Society, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. ; and the Pratt Institute, 

 Brooklyn, N. Y. 



Exhibit No. 2 was sent to the Arnot Art Gallery, Elmira, N. Y. ; 

 the Direct Mail Advertising Convention, Pittsburgh, Pa. ; the Cin- 

 cinnati Museum Association, Cincinnati, Ohio; Hackley Gallery of 

 Fine Arts, Muskegon, Mich. ; Advertising Club, Kalamazoo, Mich. ; 

 Graphic Arts Association, Binghampton, N. Y. ; Toledo Museum, of 

 Art, Toledo, Ohio; Akron Art Institute, Akron, Ohio; Grand 

 Eapids Art Association, Grand Rapids, Mich.; and the Public 

 Schools, Westfield, N. J. 



