been deeply interested in the collection, is contributing 
splendidly toward the unraveling of knotty questions, while 
Miss Katharine H. Bhoades is associated in research and 
descriptive work connected with the different departments. 
The most gratifying occurrence of the year in respect 
not only to the Gallei'y but to the general interests of the 
Institution as well consisted in the decision and the talcing 
of the preliminary steps to begin at once the erection of 
the building for housing the Freer collections. It will be 
recalled that in the original agreement between Mr. Freer and 
the Institution, entered into in 1906, these collections were 
to remain in the donor*s possession in Detroit during his life 
and only subsequently was the building to be constructed and 
the collections moved to Washington. The building fund, also 
provided by Mr. Freer in the same deed of gift, was then fixed 
at $500,000, but owing to the very great increase in the 
size of the collections and the increased cost of building 
operations, Mr. Freer later announced that this fund would 
be doubled. 
fV J 
In the autumn of last year Mr. Freer, waiving the con¬ 
ditions as to' time of transfer, expressed the desire that the 
building construction be taken up forthwith, and in December 
, / 
he turned over to the Institution the sum of $1,000,000, the 
amount he had appropriated for this purpose. 
Plans for a building adapted to the requirements of the 
