BRITISH MUSEUM 



GENERAL PROGRESS AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Visitors. 



The total number of visitors to the British Museum was 1,134,471, 

 as compared with 1,324,300 in 1936. Some decrease in numbers was 

 apparent in the early months, and from June onwards the decline became 

 more pronounced, monthly figures being considerably lower than the 

 exceptionally high totals of the previous year. The total for the year is 

 the lowest to be recorded since 1933. 



Stvdents. 



The Reading Rooms of the Library, including the Colindale Newspaper 

 Library, the Map Room and the State Paper Room, received 244,824 

 visits. 



The difficulties of service caused by reconstruction recorded in the 

 Reports for 1935 and 1936 continued ; the number of volumes supplied 

 to readers was 1,957,382, as compared with 2,139,014 in 1936. 



44,835 manuscripts and 4,758 charters and seals were issued in the 

 Student's Room of the Department of Manuscripts. 24,236 volumes were 

 consulted in the Department of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts. 



The total number of visits paid by students to the various departments 

 of the Museum was 312,273, as compared with 314,333 in 1936. 



Photography and Casts. 



The number of books issued for photography was 3,608 (including 280 

 used at Colindale) and of manuscripts 2,340. 



From other departments of the Museum, 3,984 objects were photo- 

 graphed. 



206 casts and 19 new moulds were made. 



. In the Department of Coins and Medals, 5,276 casts and 122 electro- 

 types have been made, and electrotypes have also been made for the 

 Egyptian, and British and Medieval Departments. 



Studio. 



The output of the Photographic Studio is shown in the following 

 table : — 





1933 



1934 



1935 



1936 



1937 



Negatives 



Prints 



Lantern Shdes 

 Photostats 



3,374 



9,642 



1,075 



21,695 



3,429 



8,750 



1,302 



22,993 



3,782 



9,533 



872 



24,424 



4,090 



11,853 



660 



24,791 



4,655 

 11,310 



1,046 

 23,904 



Loans of Lantern Slides. 

 2,140 lantern slides av 



ere issuec 



L on loan 



as comp 



ared -wdtl 



2,214 in 



1936. 



s 18721 



