GENERAL ACTIVITIES OF THE MUSEUM 
By W. H. Collins 
Last year the first of a series of annual reports by the National Museum 
of Canada was prepared. Considerable space was allotted to a description 
of the history and activities of the institution. The present volume is 
restricted to what has transpired during the governmental year between 
April 1, 1927, and March 31, 1928. 
EXHIBITS 
Since 1910 the Museum has had to move three times, first from the 
old Geological Survey quarters on Sussex street to the new Victoria Mem- 
orial Museum in 1910, then to various temporary quarters in the city in 
1915, when the Parliament buildings were burned, and again back to the 
Victoria Memorial Museum in 1920, when it was vacated as temporary 
quarters by Parliament. It was difficult during that period to make much 
progress with museum exhibits and in consequence this phase of the 
Museum’s activities is now the most backward and requires an abnormally 
large share of attention. 
During the past year, two rooms or booths were built in the sides of 
the Entrance Hall for the benefit of visitors. That on the east side is used 
as an information bureau and for the display and distribution of Museum 
and Survey publications and souvenirs. The other contains a depart- 
mental telephone exchange, a public telephone for the convenience of 
visitors, and a room for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers who 
guard the building. The first of a series of picture post cards of museum 
features and of interesting natural history features in different parts of 
Canada have been printed for distribution from the information bureau, 
and it is proposed to add to these gradually. 
The staff of cabinet makers and carpenters have continued to build 
exhibition cases for the display of minerals. Ten of these table cases 
were finished by the end of the year. They are mahogany, with a display 
area 72 by 48 inches, with drawers for other specimens. A contract was 
let in January, 1928, to the Steel Equipment Company, of Ottawa, to build 
sixteen upright metal cases and it is expected that these will be in place 
before the end of 1928. They are being built to a modified “clip” design 
evolved by the National Museum. Each case is 12 feet long, 7 feet high, 
and 32 inches wide, with three glass panels on each side. The two outer 
panels are hinged against the middle one, thus enabling the case to be 
opened without difficulty by one person, whereas on the ordinary “clip” 
cases two or more men are required to lift off a panel, at some risk of 
breakage. 
The installation of these new cases will relieve some of the cases now 
in use for other purposes for which they are better suited, notably for the 
commencement of exhibits of insects, trees and forest products, and geo- 
graphical features. As mentioned in last year’s report, Mr. Arthur Gibson, 
head of the Entomological Branch, Department of Agriculture, has accepted 
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