BEITISH MUSEUM 



GENERAL PROGRESS AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Visitors. 



It will be seen that the fall in the attendance of visitors which 

 began in April 1932 was checked in June 1933, from which time the 

 numbers showed a steady increase until, at the end of the year, the 

 total of 1,076,385 was within a little of that of 1,083,527 for 1932. 

 The Sunday attendances included in the total were the highest on 

 record, 143,339 (on 53 Sundays) as against the previous highest record 

 in 1932 of 129,199 (52 Sundays). 



The exhibition of the Codex Sinaiticus was chiefly responsible for 

 the attendance of 29,400 visitors on the last five days of the year. 



The number of Visitors attending the free lectures of the Official 

 Guide Lecturers was 26,979 as compared with 30,900 in 1932. 



A panel of authorised guides was formed in August, and 3,337 visitors 

 have availed themselves of the services of these guides, whose charges 

 are on a scale approved by the Trustees. 



Students. 



The total number of visits paid by students to the Reading Rooms 

 and Students' Rooms of the Museum remained practically stationary. 

 The Reading Rooms, including the Newspaper Library at Colindale, 

 the Map Room and the State Paper Room, received in all 252,825 visits 

 as compared with 253,152 in 1932. 



The number of works consulted in the Reading Room, apart from 

 those on the open shelves, showed a further increase to 2,170,756, 

 while 155,791 volumes were consulted in the other rooms of the Library, 

 making the total 2,326,547. Of this number 70,336 volumes of news- 

 papers were used at Colindale Newspaper Library. 



43,400 Manuscripts and 6,739 Charters and Seals were consulted in 

 the Department of Manuscripts ; Magna Charta was exhibited to 

 47,283 visitors as compared with 29,920 in 1932 ; 21,216 Oriental 

 Printed Books and Manuscripts were consulted in the Students' Room 

 of the Department. 



Photography and Casts. 



The number of books issued for photography was 6,562 ; 27,921 

 photostats (an increase of 3,264) were made from 1,988 Manuscripts, 

 etc., issued ; and 2,314 objects from other Departments were photo- 

 graphed. A photostat machine has been installed at Colindale 

 Newspaper Library. 



In the Department of Coins and Medals 4,526 casts and 198 electro- 

 types were made. 



Arrangements were made during the year for the transfer of the work 

 of the Cast Department at the Victoria and Albert Museum to the 

 British Museum, so far as originals in the British Museum were con- 

 cerned, and certain members of the staff of the Cast Department were 

 transferred also, 



