I 
1 
J 
EVENING- STAB, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2, 
FREER ART COLLECTION SOON 
TO BE INSTALLED IN THIS CITY 
. 
More than 5,000 items are included 
in the art collection left the Smith¬ 
sonian Institution by the late Charles 
L. Freer, who died in New York last 
week. The original gift of the col¬ 
lection and $1,000,000 for the erec¬ 
tion of a gallery was made in 1906, 
but the building was not begun until 
1916. 
The Smithsonian Institution an¬ 
nounced today that the gallery is 
now practically completed and is ex¬ 
pected to be ready in a few months 
for the installation of the collection 
It is located on the Mall near the 
Smithsonian building. 
Constructed of pink granite, the 
building presents an exterior both j 
dignified and pleasing. It measures j 
228 feet in frontage by 165 feet deep, I 
and consists of a single main story 
above a high basement. The former 
having an open central court about 
sixty-five fee square, is divided into 
rooms of different sizes, all of which 
will be used for, exhibition of the col¬ 
lections, while the basement con¬ 
tains ample studios, storage rooms, an 
auditorium and administrative offices. 
Facilities for Art Students. 
The studios will be a prominent 
feature of the gallery, where every 
facility will be offered to art stu- 
dnts to study and benefit by the col¬ 
lections of great masters. 
When the building is completed 
and the exhibition halls opened art 
lovers and students throughout the 
country who visit "Washington win 
realize what a marvelous < .Uechon 
Mr. Freer brought together during 
years of careful searching and what 
an influence on art in this country 
, /riiniiimiironiiimiiiiiililiEillNIIIinilllinilinnili' ^BIlS 
such a carefully selected permanent 
exhibition will have, it is declared. 
Had Definite Purpose. 
Mr. Freer’s collection was brought 
a purpose, and 
contains, besides American paintings 
ana sculpture, oriental paintings 
pottery, bronzes, jades and textiles. 
nr -£i aklns t, ^ is &i ft to the nation 
Mr. Freer prefaced his offer as fol- 
lows: 
These several collections include 
specimens of very widely separated 
periods of artistic development, be¬ 
ginning before the birth of Christ 
and ending today. No attempt has 
been made to secure specimens from 
unsympathetic sources, my collectin r 
nawng been confined to American 
and Asiatic schools. My great desire 
nas ooen to unite modern work with 
masterpieces of certain periods of 
high civilization harmonious in spir¬ 
itual and physical suggestion, having 
tne power to broaden esthetic cul¬ 
ture and the grace to elevate the 
human mind.” 
rus are collected by the natives 
Alaska and exported to China, wh< 
they are used as toothpicks. 
17 th Street 
South 
of Pa. Ave. 
