50 Report of the President 



ment of the exhibition and to Mr. M. D. C. Crawford for 

 securing the co-operation of the exhibitors. The exhibits 

 were grouped in sections, each illustrating some branch of 

 the textile or costume industry and so arranged as to show 

 the relation between the primitive object or design and its ap- 

 plication to modern or so-called civilized use. 



While this exhibit was highly successful in showing the 

 opportunities offered by the Museum to students, and was 

 highly praised by teachers of design and officers from 

 museums of art, yet it is extremely doubtful if, under exist- 

 ing conditions, such exhibits are of lasting effect and in the 

 end helpful to the Museum. There is no doubt that such 

 exhibits are helpful to part of the public and are extremely 

 desirable when space is available and working force to be 

 had. In the present instance, three of the exhibition halls 

 were out of commission for a month and during half of 

 that time practically all of the mechanical force was occupied 

 in the work of installation and rearrangement. 



While a special hall is badly needed for such special 

 exhibits, yet, as noted farther on, the extensive gallery 

 planned for the Hall of Ocean Life would furnish room for 

 some time to come. 



Incidentally the Exhibition of Industrial Art showed con- 

 clusively that the public does not desire evening opening 

 of the Museum, for, while the Museum was open 14 evenings 

 in order to accommodate those who presumably could not 

 come during the day, there were only 1,910 who availed 

 themselves of the opportunity, the greatest attendance being 

 only 240, while the least was but 66. 



Other special exhibits include the following: 



An exhibition of water-color pictures of birds of para- 

 dise, painted from life by Mrs. Ellis Rowan, was made at 

 the Museum in July. 



The "Roosevelt Day" exhibit opened on October 27, con- 

 tained some of the books written by Colonel Roosevelt and 

 also certain animals and birds collected by him. 



During the meetings of the American Ornithologists' 



