Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-09
THRONG At MUSEUM
Over $1,000 Persons in the
Building Yesterday.
ITS WONDERS INSPECTED
Popularity Of Sunday Opening Am.
ply Demonstrated.
CROWDS IN ALL THE CORRIDORS
Every Nook and Corner to Which
Access Was Given Inspected
With Interest.
ITS WONDERS INSPECTED
IN ALL THE CORRIDORS

| More than $4,000 persons entered the
| doors of the New National Museum
| building at 10th and + streets north
west yesterday, and it took but a super
| fetal observation to learn that the larger
part of this huge army of visitors to
Americas great scientific. historical and
artistic collection had never known of
its wonders before. The opening of the
vast treasure house during hours when
the people who work can visit it can
no longer be called an experiment. 1t
is a success The numbers tell the story
In the space of fifteen minutes more
people had entered the north door Of
the building than had gone through
in whole day before under the
old rule of opening only on week
days from o'clock until 4:3O o'clock in
the afternoon. The books of the mu-
scum showed heretofore 500 people in
a single day was fair representation
of visitors. Yesterday 500 people at a
time walked through the space devoted
to the collection of paintings hanging in
the National Gallery Of Art. which is a
small part Of the museums valuable col
lection.
Long and Broad Corridors.
The wide corridors of the museum when
empty give the impression of lonesome
ness. They are long and broad, generous
in their proportions and have the cold,
formal appearance of mathematical ex-
actness and scientific precision. but when
filled. as they were yesterday, with a
throng of people in families and groups the
onlooker was given the impression that a
splendid public reception was being held.
1t was crowd to be studied, a typical
Washington family crowd, made up of
fathers. mothers and children.
1t was easily seen that most Of those
who visited there yesterday were stran-
gers to the place. 1t was easily seen also.
that few Of them had ever been inside the
old building. Their expressions of delight
and wonder in front of the cases where
the exhibits are arranged show plainly
that the museum is one thing they have
overlooked of necessity in the past. The
evidence that the appropriation for a
few extra hours of labor, light and heat
during the hours when 1.-THE people, can
avail themselves of the opportunities of
the place is one of the biggest educational
investments the government can niaKe.
From the standpoint of attendance three
hours yesterday afternoon has beaten the
previous hours OF seyenty-fve week days.
Demonstration of Popularity.
The officials of the museum no longer
need to watch the Sunday opening with
any appreciate degree Of nervousness.
Yesterday afternoons visitors proved that
The Stars contention concerning the need
for opening the museum in popular hours
is extremely well founded. and also that
publicity is needed to show the people
what the museum has,
No exhibit can claim the prize for
popularity. No one corridor held more
visitors than any other. The people who
entered the doors in hundreds went
place opened to visitors. AS has been
announced, not all OF the museum is
opened. as the exhibits are not all pre-
pared for the new building. Thousands
of interesting collections are still in the
old building. but yesterdays experiment
will serve to hurry the moving Of these
other exhibits to their new home. Even
the beauties of the National Gallery of
Art. with the thousands Of persons who
stood in front Of the paintings and ad-
mired them. can claim they had any adj
vantage over the interesting collections
Of meteorites or the life size family
groups from Africa, the South seas. the
plains OF America or from the Arctic
circle.
Many Specimens Unmarked.
There is but one criticism heard. Many
of the articles in the cases are not
marked. The visitors took a great inter-
est. for instance. I'm the well arranged
articles in the ethnology corridors. A
case full Of specimens from Africa at
present is simply marked as such. The
identity Of individual articles in many
cases Is left to the imagination Of the
visitor. Many person was heard to
wish that each article could be marked
with its correct name and use, with. per-
haps, some slight history.
More Space Next Sunday.
I'VE expected great crowd said
Richard Rathbun, assistant secretary OF
the Smithsonian Institution, today, but
we had no idea that so many people
would come. The actual figures of at
tendance show that Is. 467 persons passed
into the museum. The afternoon passed
off very satisfactorily to us, and demon
strates that people want the museum
opened Sunday.
The crowd was an interested one
There were no troubles or disorder Of any
kind. The halls are so large the crowd
was easily taken care of, but as soon
as we can open up more OF the halls the
place viii be more convenient than ever.
| By next Sunday we will have more space
| open to the public.
THE question of opening Of the mu-
scum Sunday has been one which officials
| of the Smithsonian Institution have been
agitating for years. Prof. Henry. first