HISTORY OF THE MUSEUM 



time officially created, and ten lectures on physiology, zoology, and 

 botany prepared for the first course in the autumn of 1884. 



The law as reenacted in 1886, with an appropriation of $18,000 

 annually for two years, authorized Professor Bickmore to deliver at 

 least one lecture a year at each of the normal schools, normal colleges, 



Law of 1886. and training schools in the State, and further provided that the lec- 

 tures at the Museum should be repeated to "artisans, mechanics and 

 other citizens." The latter part of the contract, however, was not 

 complied with until 1890, when the new lecture hall was in use. 



Professor Bickmore traveled abroad extensively to gather the il- 

 lustrations and data for the series of lectures on travel, the first of 

 which was given in 1887. They were appreciated to such an extent 

 that the Trustees had to hire Chickering Hall for the autumn course, 

 and here Professor Bickmore delivered his lectures before audiences 

 averaging more than 1,300. 



Law of 1888. By the law reenacted in 1888, $15,000 annually was appropriated 



for the next two years, and the privileges accorded the other institu- 

 tions were extended to the Teachers' Institutes of the State. 



A new lecture hall, seating 1,002, was opened in the latter part of 

 1889, and in the following year Professor Bickmore delivered the 

 first series of the lectures known as the "Members' Course," and also 

 those to the general public, which were given on holidays. 



The law providing for the support of the Department failed to be 

 reenacted in October, 1890, but the work was continued by the 



Law of 1891. Trustees until January, 1891, when the State made an appropriation 

 of $15,000 annually for the next four years, and at the same time 

 entered into an agreement with the Museum by which the Museum 

 received an extra allowance of $700 per month. In 1893 this was 

 increased to $750 per month, and the State appropriation for the next 

 four years was increased to $18,000. The following year, 1894, an 

 extra $18,000 was appropriated to supply deficiencies of former years. 



Law of 1895. The system was broadened in 1895 by an act to provide the "Visual 



Instruction method" to the free common schools of the State, thus 

 permitting the school superintendents in all towns and villages to use 



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