HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL GALLERY 
AS RECORDED IN THE ANNUAL REPORTS OF 
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND THE NATIONAL MUSEUM 
1919 
(From the 1919 Annual Report of the National Museum) 
National Gallery of Art 
The National Gallery of Art has, in the judgment of 
Dr. William H. Holmes, its curator, been lifted to a position 
in the art world inferior to but few of our American galleries 
by the munificent contribution of Mr. Ralph Cross Johnson, of 
Washington, comprising 24 rare works by European masters -- 
Italian, French, English, Flemish and Dutch. 
Mr. Jonnsex has long been a friend of the Gallery. 
When it was first opened to the public in its present quarters 
on March 17, 1910, nine paintings of exceptional merit lent 
by him graced the walls of one of the small north rooms, and 
that room continued to display a varying number of valuable 
paintings on loan through his generosity until the spring of 
1919, when the larger hall immediately south was assigned to 
Mr. Johnson's pictures. Twenty-four of his masterpieces were 
here installed, some of which had previously been exhibited 
and others new to the Gallery. AS soon as the adjustment of 
