THE FREER COLLECTIOH 
In 1906 Mr. Charles L. Freer, of Detroit, Michigan, 
presented to the Institution about 2,300 paintings and other 
objects of art, and from time to time since then he has 
supplemented that gift by further generous donations until 
this wonderful collection now aggregates 4,811 pieces, in¬ 
cluding 991 paintings, engravings, lithographs, etc., by 
American artists, and 3,820 oriental works of art, many of 
them of high historic and intrinsic value. p r It was stipu¬ 
lated by Mr. Freer in connection with the gift that the 
collection should remain in his custody during his lifetime, 
and that he would provide funds for the erection of a suit¬ 
able building for the permanent preservation of the collec¬ 
tion. He is now considering the question of erecting 
such a building and a committee of the Regents has been 
appointed : 'on the securing of a site fo.r the Freer Art 
G-allery." 
(Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution, 1915, page 19) 
