A ducctit talking about dinosaurs to a class. Several Phytosaur skulls are in the case behind. Although these still are on 

 exhibit, this picture shozvs the revised hall of the 1960s, not the current one. 



indicating their preference, and finally tliey were given 

 a fair share of day work. 



C.nards must agree to work on any shift and in any 

 building. In recent years there has iieen less shift ro- 

 tation and less assignment from one liuilding to an- 

 other, and this has allowed the indi\idual officers to 

 increase their familiarity with a building. During the 

 late 1930s, Edward Henderson suggested that because 

 many visitors asked questions about the gems, it might 

 be wise to keep the same guard on duty in the gem and 

 inineral hall so that he could become familiar with the 

 collection and answer questions better. Wetmore agreed, 

 and the mineralogists put together a reference book 

 for the guard. Today the Smithsonian has a pocket 

 guide for guards telling where the principal attractions 

 are located in the various buildings. While the guards 

 are reluctant: to repeat some c^f the silly questions they 

 have been asked, one does recall a tourist's looking at 

 the world's largest crystal ball and asking if that was 

 the Hope Diamond. 



Being a guard has never been financially rewarding. 

 Many good employees have been lost to higher-paying 

 jobs and a few have joined the technical staff of the 



Museum; yet some have retired after thirty or even 

 forty years' service. I here is a modest night-pay dif- 

 fei ential; the Museum is particularly drafty and gloomy 

 late at night and the exti a pay is earned. The fire alarms 

 are tested on Friday nights at 3:00 A.M., and even if 

 one knows the noise is coming, it still makes one jump. 

 "Railroad" Harris, who had been on the force thirty- 

 eight years, recalls taking a new man around to show 

 him the alarm stations and warning him to stay away 

 from the sword on "Kaiser Bill, " the German officer 

 manikin standing at one end of the attic. After one walk 

 through the attic, the new man turned in his gun at 

 the office and quit on the spot. 



In the 1930s and 1940s each guard was equipped 

 with a gas billyclub — a billy with a tear-gas canister at 

 the tip. Since then, guards have been issued revolvers. 

 In 1951 the Secretary was given legal authority to des- 

 ignate protection officers who have the right to enforce 

 regulations and to arrest if necessary. Arrests are sel- 

 dom made, but they are made. 



While today's large volume of visitors probably pro- 

 vides extra security for the exhibits, it increases the 

 problem of pickpocketing and purse snatching. The 



166 



The Museum 



