New-York tribune., 1886-03-08
NEEDS OF A GREAT MUSEUM.
ROOM FOR NATURAL HISTORY LECTURES.
VALUABLE COLLECTIONS PACKED AWAY FROM LACK
OF EXHIBITION SPACE.

tory at seventy eighhst west OF Central Park, bad
just been completed. II stood beside an ancient frog
pond with piles of rock scattered around 1t In pctur-
esque confusion. The Elevated road the West Side
had only been completed Eghtiehst. and not half
dozen attractive buildings could be counted within half
a mile OF the The frog-pond has now given
| place TO handsome lawns around the building. The
rocks have disappeared and buildings sprinSng
up ike magic all sides In the nelghbOrhoOd. The
collections In the museum have already extended be-
yond the capacity OF the building and urgent appeals
have been made by tho trustees for an additional
| structure.
1.-THE practical character OF the museum and its
| Importance from educational point OF
view are not fully understood" said
Professor Albert s. Bckmore tho superintendent.
Gently 1t is visited by thousands every year and the
number rapidly increasing, but, in addition to the
educational influence OF lts exhibits the museum eHer-
cises direct influence the teachers not only OF the
city but OF the State. This is maintained by fund
which from the State, $4,000 being granted for
the preparation and presentation OF several courses Of
lectures on natural history to the teachers of public
| schools each year. During the summer a
| great portion OF my time ia given to the
preparation OF these lectures By obtaining photographs
and visiting the places necessary for receiving the de-
sired information. The present course for instance IS
fishes and relates all the fish industries OF the
United States ami Canada These lectures free to
all teachers in public schools. They wero begun five
years with attendance OF about thirty persons
The lcctureroOm tho upper floor OF the museum
and will seat about $50 persons while 100
moro may lud standing room. Every year the
| attendance has increased; year ago the full
capacity Of tho hail reached but last fall moro than
400 persons crowded into tho room and az
lecture hundreds Of toIchers wero turned away AS
there nearly 900 teachers in the city, 1t will readily
be seen how few oi them can DO accommodated not to
mention any outside OF Now York The result OF turn
lug many away has had influence Ia the present
course Tho attendance though large. has not been so
great. and receive letters from many who
| several times from remote portion OF
tho city, ami having been Obliged to remain standing or
to bs turued away. they have become discouraged.
"Now the need Of large hall. seating at least 15Oo
persons with proper arrangements for presenting on
the subjects OF the lecture is OF tho most
important that calls for building. Tho lectures
are not Of local Importance alone. The museum is
becoming the OF interest In these subjects not
only IN state. throughout the entire country.
Tho lectures aro taken down by stem
ographcr and reports OF tnom are furnished
to all tho normal schools OF the State
with copies also OF the by means OF these
similar these subjects can be presented at
tbu.e usttfutlous TO the stueuts who are to become
teachers These institutions include the Normal College
OF ihe Brooklyn Training school aud the state
Normal schools In Albany, New Paz, PotsIim, Court
land O.wrg0 Gene-eo Brockport, Fredonia aud Buffalo
much THIS interest. which IL maintained by the
Sntc fund ExJuIer Ruggles STATE Superintendent Of
Instruction. calls especial attention 10 the growth ana
Importance o these studies In his last report to the state
collections OF the Museum sufficient to I'LL the
space you now have I"
" There more than we have room to place on eI-
hbition 'you can see by examining tho several hoora
Every thing Is flied Our store room Is crowded
With yrlu able exhibits that wo have no room TO d@Py
on the hrst floor there Is the hne collection OF Mr
existence. iIc making new acquisitions TO II All the
me but wo have already Dnmb.r OF specimens stored
room for them rscwhtro DIR. Holder. who
charge OF the collections OF fishes. reptiles and In,
OF rs.,s"I American d.hrs colored according TO lie
This valuable addition. but at present there Is no
place to pn 1t on exhibition. The hallway OF the upper
nuor 10 hued with collection II reptiles for which there
IL no room, IN the "a icreS Two year, ago sent to
the German Society al Munich duplicate collection OF
S'''" H%y vcro GsSy GsS'"6 by H the '"oy
and al great pains has collected
In the meantime similar collection OF German
geological specimens These arrived ,hort tlin" ago
aud arc -ti stored away. Professor D. A. hnen wn'
plrto col rcu"n OF Arizona birds none OF which Il
mounted Tor exhibition FOR lack OF room There many
others "hch az" stored away Cohm"Lote An"le" ="
Duusl IS Archaeological Collection ot North AmrTi0t
tho most v4luibe ever made We have stored here rho
library u not properly arranged because there
Ia not room for such an ARA gemrnt. our work
the upper Moor and CROW ed that thcio Is little
room Tor making auy system there new bnildn; "lll
, 80 ~. ,i,n the pr..rpt lecture hail which can be
divided iutJ several rooms for work aud study The
library Ice arranged II contains many valuable be-
quests that have been oit to tho museum includes the
library of tho Academy sciences ant is prob ably the
most complete library on natural history III the lutte
states.
Tho relation OF the museum the development OF
scleuce f. Important Here In New York, with Mi other
interests of business aud arts science should not be ior-
gotten The museum Is tending to concentrate In New
York the interests Of the country In the natural sciences
"A, has been done u Paris IOuIon and other cities OF
Europe. The fine collections that we have already se'
cured attract others. No msu can attempt To
cover moro than single branch OF study
have at hand tue advantage Of other departments Ths
is Of mutual advantage Take OrnlthOpgJ. The biris
OF the United states are gradually being collected ana
classified, showing all the variations of the species
Professor Allon, ~ told you, has complete Arizona
Omithoiogists Union. has FOR several months had ms
splendid collection OF the birds OF NswMcNico In the
ranging their geographical distribution. His |
Texas collection Is the largest that has |
made. aud he has several collectors now engaged
"Tnr new building that is wanted woulI be wing OF
the present structure, ana, IKE H. nrspIOOt III shOu
contain the lecture nail and galleries Tor eIhOlts
general plan OF tie building has been submitted by the
trustees to tho Park Department aud approved IL was
desired to secure from the Board 0f Estimate Tor thls
year appropriation OF 100000 to got the building
under way. aud enough to complete IL |
another year THE TRIBUNE opposed that on account |
Of It's being another addition to the city taxes and
the Board OF Estimate would not make the spprOpria-
tIon rhe new building has been urged IN appeal To
the board by many wr-knOwn citizens. and we now |
think that tile means 10 build II can bo secured from the
sinking Fund. Thls Will not bo open to the former crit,
cisn. IL s proposed to oDtaiE from the sinking Fund
tho interest amounting TO several million dollars over
what Is required to pay tho interest on tho city |
improvements. "A municipal building arnories and |
school BUILDINGS on property owned hy the city Inc ,
cards tho matter fsvOrably. This museum will be |
specified the bill that Is presented to the Legislature,
aud II II Is adopted the work may begin our building
the present year. Thore arc many questions arising
with the development Of the museum and by no means
least them - tho question OF opening on sundays
The Interests OF tho museum arc represented by Morris
X Josup. william f.. Dodge. Hugh Auchincoss D. Pler- |
pont Morgan and others who are willing to do whatever
will be for the advantage oil the Institution.