Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-10-10
LAUTARO.
The VIRGINIA MUSEUM.

The short time which MeSsrs Warreil & Ior-
ton have had 10 prepare their Museum, as vel!
as the modest manner III which they announc-
ell Ing pretenSions, 50 completely put rem MP
on public expectation, iiiat few have entered It
with much curiosity ; aud yet we will venture
TO say that no one has left il without the most
agreeable disappointment
Ii was bnt m February, 1916, that The Act
passed" Establishing IA Museum on part OF the
Public Square, in the city OF Richmond" Not
brick was laid not an inch of dirt cut il was
weeks and months ere the plan itself was form
ell, even the settle prescribed Like other
new institutions, it had 10 struggle against
variety OF obstacles; prejudice perverted its
phiect and then ridiculed il. But its protector
persevered IN the enterprise, uudism aged by
sneers, by ridiculc III all It's variety of forms,
and what was more'dscOurasing, the want of
funds. Ii met, however, with some friends,
whose assistance was not wanting 10 advance a
pu6lIc institution, for the public good.-And
10 the building is C ompleted-an ornament to
the Public Square, and ornament to the
State which contains tia building, which al
ready presents us with great variety of Curl
oSities, and large fund of amusement aud i'll
structlon.
How Messrs. w. & l.. have contrived, in this
short space of time, TO effect SO much--and
where, to collect many curious things, is al
most wonder to US. They have certainly spa.
red no pains 10 serve the public and every
candid man will admit that the industry and
ingenuity they have shown have amply recon-
peBsed The ElUn iiiceuce of the Legislature, and
the iiberality of their friends.
They have done much, though much remains
to be done. They do not of course ii com
paris0n with similar institutions, which have
been silently growing tor thirty or forty years.
They dscialm all sort of competition, for in-
stance, with peaie's Museum, whose reputation
(ihe iruit OF time, ofgreat genius, and of the
contributions from thousand sources,) is de-
servedly known TO all the world. But they
GENE before the public as young beginners, III
line Of business utterly new to our State and
with such real modcSty of preteIIsiOn is ought
TO dsarm the most CYNICAL critic. Their com
mehcencnt Is certainly a handsome and prom
iSing one-it exceeds our own expectations, and
perhaps those OF every person who has yet Wis
tied the Museum.
The building has an advantage in point of
arrangement, over Peale's and perhaps most
others Oh tie Continent. IL rus 6aiA for u Hu-
scum, aud ITS structure is calculated for this
purpose. 1t is situated on the 18th street IA
eng +. st. as il enters I3th street or the street
leading down from the Governors hill You
enter into vestibule which communicates 10
the rsht aud left, with two small apartments
from each of these, YOU pass Into elegant spa-
clOhs rooms ON the wings each OF which COM
munIcates with The centre room which is light.
ed principally from the top, aud of COUNSEL has
only one story. thus, after yon enter the YES
tibuie, you may take walk around the whole
building, and two persons who are in the yes
uDnie, one by turning TO the right and the o.
ther 10 tile lett, and moving with equal gait
VIII meet each other in the middle of the cen.
tral room. Nj that point, yOn may see from
end TO end OF tue hOnse-and the view is not
o'iiS an uninterrupted, but handsome one,
terminating at both ends in elegant nlanile-
pieces. Thus there are five rooms below com.
municdtlng with each other, and Opening a
walk all around the building viz. the centre
room and tue two rooms IN each wing, which
correspond IN size and structure with each a.
ther besides the passage or vesIibuIe al
which YOU enter. \ bOve are rooms in some of
which thGartlst wifi prepare his works for ex.
hIDit0n, and the others will gradually be filled
with new curioSIties, and thrown open to the
public.
Ii lis not our purpose TO enter into a minnie.
description OF the things that are air eadV col.
lected tor the inspection OF the curious Among
other matters, which are TOO tedious to emu.
DIeTaie, we observe
Cases OF birds stuffed
Cases of beautiful anH exquisite shells
Minerals and aetrifactiOns
Indian curiosiIies of astonishing variety;
Silver and copper Coins
Bottles OF reptiles;
Marine productions; finals
skins. bones, or various parts ofcurious an.
Some works of alabastcr, some ofagate, sc.
And other curiOsities, which C.nuot be she.
cited in this basty sketch
The central room is devoted To pictures en-
cravings, sc. The pieces are by differ ent mas
ters, aud some OF them are said 20 be scry fine
There are
joseph and Isis Brethren, and Joseph inter-
prctnig the dream by ReJaLrars
Birds-by n ARdfioanssea
Bandtn-b Salrdf0r Rosa
BSltle .ldeces-by DJrgoine
Sampson and Delilali, A remarkably fine
pantins-by HdndN.e.
Landscdpe-by Claude Lorraine.
B0Ors drinking-by TeRiers.
Traf eliers-by Sairator Rosa
An early painting BY kubcus-some by
OdinesbOrOugh.
And remarkably fine and large Land.
Scapc-by L0dy gf Richmosd
Besides a variety Of otter pieces, IL the nun
Der Of TOO.
Jhe principal departments, in whici, the Mu-
seUn snInes, are those OfPalutIug, ConchoIocy.
and Indian Sar,Osittes.