1U The American Museum of Natural History 



in anthropology supplemented their college work by visiting the 

 Museum at stated intervals for study in the exhibition halls under 

 the guidance of Miss Ann E. Thomas. The results demonstrated the 

 value of this instruction. 



The instruction in the exhibition halls has reached its highest 

 specialization in the Darwin Hall, through cooperation with the 

 Department of Invertebrate Zoology. A special docent is assigned 

 to this hall. He meets all visiting classes and directs their study. 

 In 1917, 11,841 pupils were reached in this way. Docent service in 

 the other halls is given principally by staff members of the Depart- 

 ment of Public Education. 



In some instances teachers have preferred to give their pupils 

 special talks or lectures themselves. For this purpose, the Museum 

 has provided several small classrooms, equipped with chairs, tables, 

 blackboards and stereopticons, which have been reserved on request. 

 Not infrequently specimens from the study collections also have been 

 placed in the classroom for special study. 



A new sphere for the utilization of Museum specimens in indus- 

 trial education has recently been developed by the Department of 

 Anthropology. Students of design have been encouraged to seek 

 their inspiration in Museum collections 

 industrial use showing the decorative arts of primitive 



of museum collec- peoples. The movement was started about 

 TIONS fifteen years ago, and each year has seen 



a gradual increase in the number of those 

 who have availed themselves of the opportunity, until in 1917 it 

 reached three thousand. Some of the artists who come are not at- 

 tached to any school, but the greater part are from the public schools 

 of New York City, Teachers College (Columbia University), Hunter 

 College, Cooper Union, New York School of Fine and Applied Arts, 

 Keramic Society of Greater New York, Ethical Culture School, 

 School of Applied Design for Women, and Pratt Institute. 



Two rooms are reserved for the use of designers, to whom un- 

 usual facilities for study are offered. Garments, pieces of cloth, pot- 

 tery, baskets, and other objects illustrating primitive arts are placed 

 on tables; books from the Museum Library that have proved 

 most helpful are kept at hand; and often students are permitted to 

 go to the storerooms to make their own selection of materials. From 

 time to time, Mr. Charles W. Mead, Assistant Curator of Anthro- 

 pology, who has charge of Peruvian Hall, arranges for exhibitions of 

 designs suggested by the arts of ancient Peru, while Mr. M. D. C. 

 Crawford, Research Associate in Textiles, conducts classes and plans 

 contests for professional and non-professional artists. 



Because of the war, many designers, who formerly made 

 Paris their headquarters, have been forced to remain in this country. 



