ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



VIL General Progress at the Museum, Bloomsbury. 



In the autumn of the past year the Department of Prints and Drawings was moved 

 into the new White Aving, on the south-east side of the building; and, in placing the cases 

 in their new position, the opportunity was taken for re -arranging the collections in schools 

 and classes convenient for reference. One of the upper galleries of the White Building 

 will be occupied as a working room for students and artists, in place of a room on the 

 mezzanine floor at present in use for the purpose, but found not to afford suitable 

 accommodation. The full amount of furniture required for the Exhibition Gallery has 

 not yet been delivered ; but a selection of drawings and engravings will be placed on 

 view within a few months from the present time. 



Owing to gain ot space resulting from the removal of the Natural History collections, 

 the Keeper of the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities has been able to place on 

 view a large number of fictile vases, bronzes, terracotta figures, fresco paintings, and 

 other smaller antiquities which it had previously been impossible to exhibit. He has 

 also been enabled to make such a classified arrangement of the whole collection of objects 

 as greatly adds to their value for purposes of study and illustration ; the more important 

 being placed in conspicuous positions and in favourable light. A further very consider- 

 able assistance for studying the collection of vases is being provided by an index to the 

 subjects depicted on them, which is now at press. What ia still urgently wanted for the 

 Department is suitable exhibition space for the sepulchral monuments and other antiqui- 

 ties stored in rooms in the basement, and not accessible to the public nor in light suitable 

 for inspection by students. Proposals for additional buildings to bring these antiquities 

 into view have been submitted to Her Majesty's Government, and are under considera- 

 tion. 



The completion of the arrangement of the Ethnographical collection has been delayed 

 by the necessity of revising that of the Oriental Porcelain and securing the specimens 

 in their cases, and also of placing the Hindu and Buddhistic antiquities, the exhibition 

 room for which intercepts an approach to the Ethnographical Gallery. Some sections 

 have still to receive additimis, and the labelling of the specimens remains to be cai'ried 

 out ; but the rooms are now opened to public visitors, and will be found peculiarly 

 attractive. The collections of Oriental Porcelain and of Buddhistic Antiquities in the 

 adjacent room are also now on view. 



In aid of the endeavour made at the International Exhibition of Inventions to illustrate 

 the history of Music, a selection of manuscripts showing the pi'ogress of musical notation 

 from the 10th century onwards, with examples of Choral Service Books, finely written and 

 illuminated, Part Song Books, Lute Music, etc., and with autographs of great composers of 

 various countries, has been exhibited in the Department of Manuscripts ; and a series of 

 printed books of music has been placed on view in the King's Libraiy ; descriptive Guides 

 being furnished for the exhibits. 



Notwithstanding the accommodation given by the additional tables placed in the 

 Reading Room in the past year, the room is still frequently overcrowded, and, at times, 

 visitors have to wait for a vacant seat. The average of daily attendance during the last 

 five years has very much increased. In the twenty years from 1856 to 1875, the number 

 of readers each year remained nearly stationary, at about 100,000, it being 105,310 at the 

 close of the term. In the next ten years the number has risen gradually to 159,340 ; and 

 at an accelerated rate during the four last yeai's, previous to which the number stood at 

 134,273. The increase is greatly owing to the use of the electric light on dark days in 

 winter and the extension of hours to eight p.m.; but it is also apparent during the 

 ordinary hours. At all times of the day the room is much more filled than it was ten 

 years ago, and the crowding is generally inconvenient in the afternoon. It becomes a 

 question of difficvrlty how the continuous flow of demands for admission is to be met. The 

 opening of Free Libraries might relieve the pressure, bat, as yet, the parishes of London 

 have not shewn themselves generally willing to establish them ; and, even if Free Libraries 

 were accessible, the progress of education and other causes would probably always sustain 

 the desire for admission to the Museum Reading Room. It may therefore soon become 

 the duty of the Trustees to recommend to Her Majesty's Government measures for 

 increasing the Reading Room accommodation. It would not be practicable to enlarge the 

 present room, but it might be thought advisable to open an additional room for readers in 

 general literature, not engaged in special research, such as is provided in Paris by the 

 " Salle Publique," in contradistinction to the " Salle de Travail." In the meantime partial 

 relief has been obtained by making use of a large room on the ground-floor of tlie White 

 Building for readers consulting Newspapers and Parliamentary Paper-, the greater part of 

 these collections having been placed in the room itself and adjoining rooms. 



With the view to assist readers in their studies, a press-marked Index Catalogue 

 of all works of interest acquired for the Library during the last five years, has been 



])rcpared 



