Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-23
NATIONAL GALLERY
Report of Richard Rathbun
for Fiscal Year.
PLAN TO MOVE PICTURES
Would Place Them on Smithsonian
Second Floor.
IF CONGRESS GIVES MONEY
Account Of the Paintings Owned by
the Government-More Than
100000 Visitors Annually.

Inc annual report OF the oHlleu SldteS
!, National Museum for the fiscal year end
ing June go 1907 has been made public
Richard Rathbun, assistant secretary of
, the Smithsonian Institution. in charge of
the museum, gives considerable space to
the history and development of the Ma
tional Gallery of Art, which by law is one
Of the museum features of the Smithson-
ian Institution. He summarizes its growth
as follows:
Examples of, art were among the very
|, first acquisitions by the institution, and
from time to time thereafter additions of
one kind and another were received. but
any sum that might have been spared for
this purpose from the Smithsonian income
would have been wholly insufficient to
make any pronounced or systematic prog
ress in this direction. In the National
Museum, however, certain branches of art
have been fostered for over quarter of
century and are now fairly well repre-
scented.
"The first collection purchased by the
institution was the valuable series of
prints assembled by George P. Marsh.
containing examples of the work OF near
ly every etcher and engraver of celebrity
from the early masters to the middle OF
the last century. Though not the largest,
1t was recognized as the choicest collec-
ton of its kind then in this country Later
accessions included. besides engravings.
a number of paintings, reproductions of
celebrated pieces of sculpture, bustS OF
distinguished individuals, and many i'm
portant books on art.
The Freer Collection.
"Such, briefly, was the history of the
art exhibits up to January, 1906. when
the acceptance by the board of regents
Of the large and notable collection of Mr..
Charles L. Freer marked the beginning
of a new epoch in the affairs of the gal
lery of art. In the following July fur
Their advance was made through the &C
QUESTION Of the valuable collection of the
late Harriet Lane Johnston, based upon
decision Of the Supreme Court Of the
District Of Columbia, essentially reaft1rm-
Ing the intent of the fundamental act,
that the custodianship of the National
sonian Institution. This collection is es-
pecially noteworthy in that it contains
paintings by several celebrated masters,
besides other pieces of merit and of his
the institution in the early part of August,
1905. and was at once installed in the re-
ception room in the Smithsonian building,
the only place then available.
THE necessity of securing more eX-
tensive quarters without delay led to the
selection and temporary fitting up Of the
lecture hall in the museum building for
the purposes Of the gallery and especially
these changes in the latter part of No
vember, 1905, the Harriet Lane Johnston
collection and other paintings were trans
ferred there. and these with several loans
and donations, fully occupy the existing
wall space. Among the loans should be
mentioned twenty-one paintings from the
Lucius Tuckerman collection. and among
the gifts. one by ]. B. Henderson, re-
gent Of the institution, and one by Miss
Eleanor Blodgett of New York.
During the latter part of the winter
the gallery received a most substantial
and gratifying recognition from Mr.. Will
liam T. Evans Of Montclair, N. j., the
well-known connoisseur and patron of art,
whose contribution, made without solicit
tation, consisted of fifty-two paintings in
, Oil by American artists of established
reputation. Unfortunately, no place could
be found in the museum building for this
valuable collection, and 1t was necessary
to provide elsewhere for its temporary
keeping. This has been accomplished
the Corcoran Gallery of Art, where the
. pictures are now hung, filling the greater
part of the large atrium.
! Change Of Gallery.
Leaving out of consideration the Freer
: collection. which is to remain at the home
of its generous donor during his lifetime.
the national gallery now has in it's pos
session valuable paintings and other art
objects for whose exhibition under suit
able conditions it Is important to arrange
without delay For this purpose there is
no better place in the existing buildings
than the second story of the main part of
the Smithsonian building, hall 200 feet
long by so feet wide. 1t will require some
changes to adapt it to the hanging and
lighting of pictures. and some improve
ment in its approaches, which are now
inconvenient for the public, involving an
expenditure greater than is possible from
the current appropriation, but it is hoped
that Congress will provide for this work
at its forthcoming session."
In the National Museum are deposited
nearly all the scientific. Industrial his
torical and art collections which come
into the possession of the government
through any of it's departments. Besides
these are many gifts and loans by private
individuals. To quote:
THE number of accessions received
during the year, not including the subject
of fine arts, was 1893, comprising total
of 100000 specimens, of which nearly
1000 were anthropoogical, about 145 600
biological and over 100000 geological and
archaeological.
ITO the already interesting exhibit of
flying machines was added the Santos-Du-
mont airship number 8. presented by Mr..
Edw. G. Boyce of New York.
Number of Visitors.
Visitors to the National Museum dur
ing the year numbered 21O1O daily
average OF OIL, anu ldS'ool persons, OF
400 day, were recorded on the watch
|, mans clicker at the Smithsonian build
ing 1t is pointed out that if the build
ings were kept open during evenings and
Sundays as is the general practice else
where, these numbers would be at least
doubled Since the opening of the mu-
scum building in 1881, very nearly 100000
visitors have looked at it's collections.
The Local Yachts.
The officers of the steamer Harry Ran
dali report having passed the auxiliary
,ou,ar Dacbt Cincona of this city off