126 REPORT OF NATIONAL. MUSEUM, 1924 



The collections relating to the World War have been increased by 

 a collection of drawings made in 1917 by Vernon Howe Bailey, show- 

 ing various war activities of the United States at the period men- 

 tioned. An individual relic of great interest relating to the same 

 period is a French omnibus in which is installed a French telephone 

 switchboard. This omnibus was used as a movable telephone office by 

 the American Expeditionary Forces during the St. Mihiel opera- 

 tions in 1918 and was transferred to the Museum from the United 

 States War Department. 



WORK OF PRESERVING AND INSTALLING THE COLLECTIONS PRESENT CONDITION OP 



THE COLLECTIONS 



The principal work connected with the installation and preserva- 

 tion of the historical collections during the present fiscal year has 

 centered about the arrangement of the numismatic collection received 

 during the past fiscal year from the Treasury Department. This 

 work was divided into three separate and distinct phases. The first 

 of these included the removal from the west north hall of the Arts 

 and Industries Building of the collection of historical materials 

 already occupying this space and its installation elsewhere; the 

 second included the mechanical work of setting up in this space 

 the cases received from the Treasury Department and preparing 

 them for exhibition purposes; and the third included the actual 

 installation of the numismatic collection. 



The collections installed in this hall when the numismatic collec- 

 tion was received were composed of five large units and a collec- 

 tion of miscellaneous materials. The first of these units consisted 

 of a row of eight narrow wall cases against the north wall which 

 contained a collection of American and foreign swords, the greater 

 part of which belonged to the Alfred F. Hopkins loan collection. A 

 second unit included a row of thirteen slope-top floor cases with 

 sloping diaphragms upon which were mounted a collection of com- 

 memorative medals. The third unit included a series of eight floor 

 cases of the Kensington type containing the collections of anti- 

 quarian objects and personal relics relating to General and Mrs. 

 George Washington. The fourth unit included a row of eight wall 

 cases containing the Richard Mansfield collection of historical 

 theatrical costumes. A fifth unit consisted of seven double-f aced floor 

 cases containing the Dickins collection of historical chinaware. 



The removal of this large amount of important material from 

 the west north range and its installation in suitable locations in 

 other parts of the much overcrowded historical space, constituted a 

 complex and serious problem which was only solved after much 

 shifting of cases and prolonged consideration of the new combina- 



