﻿112 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  materials 
  regarded 
  as 
  of 
  more 
  purely 
  scientific 
  character 
  were 
  con- 
  

   sidered 
  as 
  the 
  proper 
  field 
  of 
  the 
  institution 
  and 
  its 
  activities 
  in 
  

   acquisition 
  were 
  restricted 
  to 
  that 
  scope. 
  The 
  sphere 
  of 
  its 
  func- 
  

   tions 
  is 
  now 
  broadened 
  by 
  the 
  University 
  la"w 
  above 
  cited. 
  

  

  The 
  State 
  has 
  shown 
  an 
  appreciative 
  spirit 
  and 
  most 
  laudable 
  

   activity 
  in 
  the 
  acquisition 
  or 
  protection 
  of 
  places 
  with 
  historic 
  asso- 
  

   ciations. 
  With 
  or 
  without 
  volunteer 
  private 
  cooperation, 
  it 
  has 
  

   taken 
  over 
  historic 
  property, 
  marked 
  with 
  commemorative 
  monu- 
  

   ments 
  sites 
  of 
  momentous 
  and 
  critical 
  events 
  in 
  its 
  history, 
  raised 
  

   imposing 
  memorials 
  on 
  its 
  battlefields 
  and 
  statutes 
  to 
  some 
  of 
  its 
  

   distinguished 
  sons. 
  The 
  spirit 
  which 
  has 
  inspired 
  these 
  results 
  has 
  

   been 
  born 
  and 
  nursed 
  into 
  expression 
  by 
  a 
  multitude 
  of 
  patriotic 
  

   societies, 
  some 
  of 
  general, 
  others 
  of 
  more 
  local 
  scope. 
  But 
  further 
  

   than 
  this 
  in 
  the 
  conservation 
  of 
  its 
  historical 
  materials 
  the 
  State 
  

   has 
  not 
  gone. 
  It 
  has 
  left 
  wholly 
  to 
  local 
  civic 
  associations 
  the 
  

   conservation 
  of 
  the 
  relics 
  of 
  its 
  history. 
  There 
  is 
  scarcely 
  an 
  intel- 
  

   ligent 
  community 
  in 
  the 
  State 
  which 
  has 
  not 
  an 
  historical 
  society 
  

   engaged 
  not 
  merely 
  in 
  retelling 
  the 
  often 
  half 
  remembered 
  story 
  

   of 
  local 
  events 
  but 
  conserving 
  the 
  materials 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  early 
  

   stages 
  of 
  its 
  progress 
  and 
  the 
  personal 
  careers 
  of 
  its 
  distinguished 
  

   citizens. 
  

  

  It 
  would 
  be 
  impossible 
  to 
  estimate 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  the 
  collections 
  of 
  

   these 
  societies 
  to 
  the 
  student 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  history 
  and 
  the 
  edifica- 
  

   tion, 
  satisfaction 
  and 
  pride 
  with 
  which 
  these 
  are 
  contemplated 
  by 
  

   the 
  citizens 
  of 
  this 
  State. 
  But 
  these 
  results 
  have 
  been 
  achieved 
  

   alone 
  by 
  private 
  organizations 
  moved 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  proper 
  spirit 
  

   which 
  may 
  justly 
  require 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  that 
  it 
  conserve 
  the 
  monu- 
  

   ments 
  of 
  its 
  own 
  cultures. 
  

  

  If 
  there 
  is 
  ever 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  State 
  Historical 
  Museum 
  certainly 
  it 
  is 
  

   time 
  to 
  inaugurate 
  it 
  and 
  if 
  the 
  effort 
  is 
  made 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  made 
  

   persistently, 
  with 
  a 
  clearly 
  defined 
  purpose 
  in 
  view. 
  Time 
  is 
  pass- 
  

   ing. 
  New 
  York 
  has 
  behind 
  it 
  300 
  years 
  of 
  successive 
  cultures 
  and 
  

   back 
  of 
  that 
  the 
  cultures 
  of 
  the 
  aborigines. 
  It 
  is 
  no 
  longer 
  easy 
  

   to 
  acquire 
  the 
  relics 
  of 
  these 
  cultures. 
  In 
  another 
  generation 
  they 
  

   will 
  all 
  have 
  passed 
  into 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  public 
  or 
  private 
  museums. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  with 
  the 
  relics 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  settlements 
  rather 
  than 
  with 
  

   its 
  critical 
  events 
  that 
  an 
  historical 
  museum 
  should 
  concern 
  itself. 
  

   Such 
  collections 
  of 
  historical 
  objects 
  should 
  depict 
  in 
  the 
  truest 
  

   and 
  most 
  realistic 
  fashion 
  the 
  modes 
  and 
  means 
  of 
  living 
  in 
  each 
  

   successive 
  phase 
  of 
  culture, 
  should 
  reproduce 
  by 
  proper 
  association 
  

   a 
  faithful 
  picture 
  of 
  domestic 
  life 
  and 
  habitudes. 
  The 
  educational 
  

  

  