BRITISH MUSEUM 



GENERAL PROGRESS AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM 



The total number of visitors to the Museum showed a considerable 

 rise, the figures being 1,254,711 as against 1,201,639 in 1930 and 

 1,191,758 in 1929. The number of Sunday visitors remained practically 

 stationary, the rise being due to the weekday visits. ■ The figures for the 

 fi-.rst six months of the year showed a large falling-off, which was more 

 than compensated by heavy increases in the later months, especially, 

 as usual, in August. 



The total number of students who visited particular departments 

 was 284,885, slightly below the highest recorded previous figure for the 

 years since the war, viz;. 285,538 in 1930. Increases on last year were 

 noticeable in the Reading Room and the Department of Greek and 

 Roman Anticjuities ; the decline was chiefly accounted for by the 

 Ethnographical Department. 



The number of volumes supplied to readers in the Reading Room 

 (exclusive of those on the open shelves) was 1,610,349, again an increase 

 on the preceding year (by 72,780 on 1,537,569). The number of readers 

 was 226,270, an average of 746 daily (2 more than in 1930), and the 

 average number of books asked for increased again from 6*81 to 7-11. 

 The number of readers in the Newspaper Room fell from 18,920 to 

 17,853, and the number of visitors to the Hendon Repository for the 

 purpose of consulting newspapers was only 215, as against 569 in 1930. 

 1,816 volumes were sent from Hendon to Blcomsbury, as against 1,691 

 in 1930. In the Department of Manuscripts 37,724 Manuscripts and 

 3,669 Charters and Seals were issued for study, and the number of 

 persons to whom Magna Charta was shown increased from 27,260 to 

 29,068. 



The Lectures of the Official Guide-Lecturers were attended by 

 approximately 30,167 persons. 



, There was a falling-off in the number of books and MSS. issued for 

 photography, 4,427 as against 5,412 in 1930 and 4,839 in 1929. A total 

 of 17,974 photographs or photostats of MSS. was taken. In the Depart- 

 ment of Coins and Medals 480 electrotypes and 5,076 casts were made, 

 as against 568 and 3,782 in 1930. 



The output of the Photographic Studio is shown by the following 

 figures (in which those mentioned in the preceding para.graph are 

 included) : negatives, 3,501 ; prints, 9,449 ; photostats, 22,020 ; 

 lantern-slides, 1,122. 2,653 lantern-slides were issued on loan. 



The sales of publications of the Trustees were : Catalogues, 8,200 ; 

 Guide Books, 20,050 ; Postcards, monochrome and coloured, 553,750 ; 

 Reproductions, 23,500. The proceeds of sales (gross, including the new 

 edition of the General Catalogue of Printed Books) amounted to £12,093. 



Of the temporary exhibitions held during the year the most important 

 was in connexion with the Persian Exhibition at Burlington House, 

 objects collected from seven different departments being combined in 

 the Gallery of the Print Room (Oriental Section). The casts brought 

 by Sir Cecil Hare ourt- Smith from Persepolis in 1891 were also set up 

 in the Assyrian Basement. Other exhibitions represented the collection 

 of Indian Paintings and Drawings (in connexion with the Round Table 



