Education 
The National Museum was the first museum in Canada to under- 
take an organized programme of educational work. This was in 1912, 
when, under the enthusiastic leadership of Harlan I. Smith, a series 
of lectures for young people was started. At first they were held after 
school, in a room on the fourth floor of the Museum, and although the 
children were seated on planks supported by boxes, there was no 
lack of enthusiastic audiences. As these small quarters soon over- 
flowed, the location was changed to the lecture hall on the ground 
floor, where Saturday morning lectures became a regular weekly 
feature. By 1915 lectures were also being given for adults. Speakers 
were drawn from the Geological Survey staff as well as from that of 
the Museum. In 1915 the subjects of the lectures included five in 
geology, two in zoology, three in anthropology, two in agriculture, 
and one general talk on the Museum. 
The following year the emergency occupation of the Museum 
building by Parliament occurred, and the lecture hall became the 
House of Commons. However, the Museum and Geological Survey 
staffs continued to provide public lectures, which were given in 
schools, church auditoriums, and similar places. As soon as the 
Museum building was vacated by Parliament in 1920, making the 
lecture hall again available, Mr. Smith pressed for resumption of 
the official lecture series. The lecture hall was fitted downstairs with 
262 comfortable fixed seats, and the balcony was provided with 
266 chairs. A projection lantern and a 3 5 -mm motion picture pro- 
jector were installed. The Publicity Bureau of the Department of 
Trade and Commerce provided an operator and suitable films. On 
the first Saturday morning the number of children who came far 
exceeded the expectations of everyone except Mr. Smith, and the 
lecture had to be given twice. There were occasions in subsequent 
years when three presentations were necessary to accommodate all 
who ‘came. At first the ushers were members of the Museum staff, 
but these were soon supplemented by members of local Boy Scout 
troops, an arrangement that continued until recently. 
In 1921, a lecture committee was set up by the Director of the 
Museum, Dr. Mclnnes, and the regular Wednesday night lecture series 
with motion pictures was begun. The first members of the committee 
were Harlan I. Smith (Chairman), D. B. Dowling, and M. Y. 
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