THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 
21 
country as to assure to the public and especially to the lovers and 
patrons of art the wholly worthy purpose of this movement on 
behalf of the nation. 
As paintings and sculpture were the subjects with which 
such an advisory committee was expected to be more immedi- 
ately concerned, its membership was sought with this require- 
ment in view, although its scope might at any time be enlarged. 
The number of members was fixed at five for the present, the 
selection of three of these being requested of as many leading 
art associations, the other two to be named by the Institution. 
The committee held its first meeting for organization in Wash- 
ington on April 16, 1908, and is constituted as follows: Mr. 
Francis D. Millet, Chairman; Mr. Frederick Crowninshield, 
representing the Fine Arts Federation of which he is President; 
Mr. Fdwin H. Blashfield, representing the National Academy of 
Design; Mr. Plerbert Adams, representing the National Sculp- 
ture Society of which he is President ; and Mr. William H. Holmes, 
of the Smithsonian Institution, Secretary of the Committee. 
Notwithstanding the original provision for art, neither of the 
buildings now occupied by the Museum contains quarters which 
are actually suited to the display of paintings on an extensive 
scale, due to defects in lighting. This applies equally to the 
western wing and connecting range of the Smithsonian building, 
although they were specially designed for the purpose, and to 
the western end of the second story prepared for the Indian 
pictures of Stanley and King. Subsequent to the fire of 
January, 1865, such parts of the collection as remained after 
the deposits made in the Library of Congress and the Corcoran 
Gallery of Art were cared for in the offices of the Institution and 
the exhibition halls of the Museum. The recall of these deposits 
in 1896 led to the fitting up of one of the rooms on the second 
floor of the eastern wing of the Smithsonian building, more 
especially for the prints, though other classes of objects and a 
part of the art library are also kept there. 
The receipt of the bequest of Harriet Lane Johnston in 1906 
made it important to hasten arrangements for at least the 
temporary installation of paintings. There was only one hall 
which could at that time be assigned to this purpose, the lecture 
room in the Museum building adjoining the main entrance, 
