The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-05
LIGHT
HARMFUL To
MUSEUMS
Director Of N. ~. Institution
Sees Electricity Replacing
Present Method.

Think of a museum without win.
dows. This sounds frealSish, does it
not? II you agree, you are wrong.
According to Frederick A. Lucas,
director OF the American Museum of
Natural History, New York city,
the ideal natural history museum
OF the not too distant future will,
II housed in a new building, be
gulltless OF windows and If its
nome Is old, have its windows
blocked up. All light in such a
museum will be provided by cleo
tricity.
There is a solid, scientific rea.
son for dispensing with museum
windows, the outcome of a number
OF years OF investigating in both
Europe and this country. Day
light has been found, according to
DIR. Lucas, to be the arch foe Of
natural history museums because
certain Of its rays, especially the
ultraviolet, quite rapidly deterior-
ate specimens exhibited under it.
Lunar Moth Fades.
A lunar moth, perhaps the most
beautifully colored Of its family,
when exhibited under daylight,
fades so completely within few
days as to be scientifically worth
less. The baneful effect of day
light Is by no means limited to
such small things as moths. Some
time ago the American museum
of Natural History had a group Of
deer absolutely ruined by being
exhibited but three years in a gal.
lery lighted by daylight.
The Hall Of the Age of Man at
the American Museum is an ex.
ample of what can be accomplished
in windowless museum. The up
per third of the four walls is given
over to d series of mural paintings,
depicting scenes from the life, of
early man. To light these pictures
there are twenty.four ceiling type
semi-indirect electric luminarieS
Below the paintings, completely
surrounding the hall except for
doorways, a set af wall cases con-
tains the smaller exhibits. These,
together with the cases placed
upon the floor to house the ex.
hibits of larger animals, are like
wise illuminated by electric bulbs
placed in reflectors of such de-
sign that the light source is not
directly visible to the eye.
Lighting Now Restful.
Walking into this room from its
neighbor, which is daylight illumi.
mated, one cannot help noticing the
restful quality of the lighting.
Another advantage which DR.. Lucas
pointed out is the greater amount
of material which is on display
here because sjde-wall cases are not
interrupted by windows. He con-
siders that the cost Of electric cur
rent consumed Is more than offset
by the exhibition space gained by
closing up the windows. Further,
DIR. Lucas stated that the Speci-
mems in this hall lighted exclusively
by the light of frosted incandescent
electric bulbs are insured against
deterioration for many years to
come. - s 49,
Daylight is the great foe of
natural history collections because
of its actinic rays" says DR.. Lucas,
as he was going about the museum
showing what had been accomplish
ed there in the way Of electrical
illumination of its exhibits. Wish
tors to the mammal gallery of the
British Museum OF Natural History
find the shades drawn and labels
calling attention to the fact that II
is done to preserve the specimens.
In many continental museums the
galleries are shrouded in darkness
save for a very few hours on
stated occasions.
Light Is Necessary.
Light. however, is necessary if
h FAefA ~
hibits. so museum authorities have
been more and more perplexed. as
museums have become increasingly
nOnlllar hX the nrnhlen Of nrnYid.