True's beaked whale fMesoplodon mirusj on the east 

 parking hit in August 1977. 



proved with the development of the Federal Triangle 

 across the street, the north entrance itself has deteri- 

 orated. Several lamp posts near the door have been 

 moved. The curve of the steps has been filled in, and 

 material of a different color extends to the driveway. 

 Some of this was done during the Carmichael era. The 

 latest modifications, on the other hand, have been for 

 a good cause. There are now ramps from the sidewalk 

 up the steps, and inside the entryway another ramp 

 leads to the central automatic door. This entrance is 

 fully accessible to the physically handicapped. Those 

 in wheelchairs are a minute part of the tourist popu- 

 lation, but their numbers have increased every year. 



The north side of the building is the only place to 

 see the flag. One has to stand back some distance from 

 the north entrance to get a glimpse of it, a couple of 

 stories up. This modest flagpole is the only one on the 

 premises of the Museum, whereas many of the neigh- 

 boring buildings have imposing flagpoles on their 



grounds. A number of picture postcards of the 1930s 

 showed a huge flag flying over the east side of the 

 building, but this never existed. 



The north and south entrances are regularly fes- 

 tooned with banners announcing temporary exhibits. 

 The banners, produced commercially, are handled by 

 riggers employed by the Institution. Some say these 

 banners give a tawdry appearance; some say they pro- 

 vide an air of gaiety. Good or bad, they are probably 

 a permanent addition. The banners began during the 

 Bicentennial when the Mall side flew one showing a 

 dancing elephant balancing the Museum on its trunk. 



One really must return to the south steps, the main 

 entrance to the Museum. During the 1960s metal 

 guardrails were added to assist people walking up or 

 down. In the early 1970s a young man was walking on 

 the outer ledge, showing off for some young ladies, 

 and fell to the driveway below, breaking an arm. As a 

 precaution against a similar event with a more unhappy 

 ending, nets were slung on either side below the wall, 

 extending out from the roof of the tunnel. Of course, 

 these nets are full of beverage cans and paper trash, 

 but there does not seem to be any cure for that. 



The south entrance is closed by massive bronze gates 

 that retract laterally into the walls; there used to be 

 similar gates on the north side. Originally the gates were 

 closed by steam power and later they were hydraulic. 

 Now, in the electrified era, a guard simply touches a 

 button. Few people see these gates, because they are 

 out of sight during public hours, but they are impres- 

 sive. 



Decorating the Plinths 



There is one last point to mention about the south 

 entrance. Between the two runs of steps is a pair of 

 large dies, the tops of which are level with the south 

 entryway. In his description of the building, Rathbun 

 indicated that they were designed to serve as pedestals 

 for statuary. Except for the stone lions displayed on 

 them during the George Washington bicentennial in 

 1932, they seem not to have been used. With that pre- 

 face, it is necessary to return for a moment to the de- 

 veloping exhibit on fossils in the west part of Hall 2. 



In 1980 inquiry was made to a mining company in 

 Minnesota to see if a large sample of red jasper could 

 be obtained. This quite ancient rock, also known as 

 banded iron formation, shows alternating darker and 

 lighter layers. This layering may be related to con- 

 sumption of oxygen from the atmosphere as the ancient 

 iron was first oxidized. A slice of the rock was needed 

 for the exhibit on early life and the origin of the at- 

 mosphere. After several letters and telephone calls, a 

 large glacial boulder of this ore was located. The local 

 Army Reserve unit helped bring it down a hill and place 

 it on a truck. Eventually the eleven-ton rock arrived in 



196 



The Museum 



