The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-02-05
HARVARD'S SEMITIC MUSEUM.

New Building to be Put Up Soon
Through Mr.. Schiffs Liberality.
The plans which have been forming
at Harvard University during the past
Twelve months for the erection Of a new
Semitic museum are nearing compile
ton. Such building has become neces-
sary through two reasons-the great
size which the collection of specimens in
the possession of the Semitic depart
ment has obtained and the urgent need
OF having all the work done in connec-
ton with this subject under one roof.
AT present instruction is given in one
place. the Semitic Library in another
place and the museum is in third.
| This new museum has been made pos
sible through the generosity OF Mr..
Jacob Fl. Schiff of New York, who in
1889 gave $4,000 to the university for
the purpose Of beginning a collection of
fSemitic specimens. Seeing recently that
the rapidly increasing collection was
far too large for the space allotted to
1t, Mr. Schiff thought of the erection of
museum to be devoted entirely to the
subject. Consequently, in January, 1899,
he offered to contribute the sum of
600 for museum, provided an ad-
ditional sum of $4,000 could be secur-
ed by subscription within six months.
Last July DR.. ID. G. Lyon, Professor
OF Theology and Curator of the Semitic
Inv, i
but $4,000 had been secured by SUBJ
scrlpt1on, and asked for an extension of
time This extension the latter declin-
ed to grant, but instead offered to con-
tribute $4,000 for the museum, on con-
ditlon that the $4,000 subscribed should
be devoted to the purchase of new
specimens for the collection.
The result of this generous offer was
that since that time plans for the new
museum have been steadily developing.
The building is to be Unrestricted
one, and will stand on Divinity avenue
to the south Of the Peabody Museum Of
Archaeology.
The main part of the building will
cover a space Of so by 80 feet in the
rear will be an addition smaller in size.
The ground floor will be divided by a
hall running from front to back. On
the right handside of it will be a lee
ture room 50 by 30 feet, and on the
left hand side the library and another
lecture room, each rs by 30 feet In the |
rear will be the stairway on the right |
and third lecture room on the left.
The second and third floors of the
building will be used as the museum, |
excepting room on the second floor, 30 |
feet square, which is to be the Curator's |
room. This plan, though practically de-
termined upon, is still subject to slight
changes. In time, 1t Is hoped the new
museum will be enlarged by additions
in the rear.
Although the present cramped quar-
tiers of the Semitic department. have ne
cessitated crowdfng in the arrange
ment Of the objects in the museum, a
study Of the exhibition presented to-day
Is intensely interesting and instruc-
tive Clustered In a room occupying one
entire. floor Of the Peabody Museum Is a
most marvellous and valuable collection
Of ancient bas-reliefs, casts obelisks,
statuary, scrolls, and Photographic
views of all descriptions from Assyria,
Palestine, Syria, and Arabia.
Up to the close Of 1898 the eize Of the
collection permitted its exhibition in
twenty-six large cases ranged about
this enormous ROOM Since that time,
however, the acquisition of rare objects
from Palestine, Babylon and Phoenicia
forced an alteration and crowding of
and even made it neces-
'ary to pack and store away some Of the
specimens in the basement Of the mW
scum
An attentive visit to this museum of
are antiquities might make one fancy ,
hat he had passed through some other
world. The sight Of something that be-
onged to the fourteenth century before 4
Christ is apt to put a singular train or
bought into anybody's head
Plans having reached their present
tage, 1t is probable that actual work
n the construction of the new museum
will begin in the early Summer. Com
'leted, 1t Will afford an opportunity for
iewing collection of objects which for
'ariety and instructiveness, probably
las not its match In the world-Boston
slobe.