Report of the President 5 3 



lution of writing. The results indicate that this idea is worthy 

 of further development. 



Our reference files of photographs have been increased by 



1,605 pictures, and 3,886 new negatives have been added to 



the negative file. The nucleus of a reference 



library of motion picture films has been 



. _ . started through the gift by Mr. Paul T. 



and Negatives _ . , ■,«.*,*, .• r 



Rainey of a complete set or the negatives of 



his latest African pictures and through the gift by Mr. James 



Barnes of a complete set of the films taken by the Barnes-Kearton 



Expedition of 1914. The department has been called upon 



to do the major part of the photographic work of the entire 



Museum. This has required very exacting service from our 



photographer. In all he has made 5,738 photographic prints, 



1,558 lantern slides, 1,003 negatives, 278 enlargements and 37 



transparencies. 



Through the death of Professor Albert S. Bickmore, 



Curator Emeritus, on August 12, 1914, not only the Depart- 



_, . ^ „. ment of Public Education but the cause 



Changes in Staff . , . _. , . \ . 



of education in the State lost one of their 



strongest supporters. Professor Bickmore was the organizer 



of the Department of Public Education and through the 



relations established with the State developed a system of 



visual instruction which in modified form is still maintained by 



the State. The gift to the Museum of his unique and superb 



collection of lantern slides marks him as the department's 



chief benefactor. 



Mrs. Agnes L. Vaughan, who had been connected with the 

 department since 1906, resigned her position as Assistant in 

 June. Miss Ann E. Thomas, a graduate of Brown University, 

 was appointed Assistant in the department in August. 



In October Miss Winifred Blair terminated her services with 

 the Museum and Miss Clara A. Kelsey was appointed in her 

 place. 



Miss Kathryn I. Upson, a graduate of Vassar, has been 

 employed in the department as a temporary assistant in cata- 

 loguing the Museum's series of lantern slides. 



