The Washington times., 1925-07-03
CONGRESS
APPROVAL
SOUGHT
Projected Building to Be One
of Largest OF Kind in
Country

greatest museum buildings in the
United States, on the north side
of the Mall between Seventh
and Ninth streets northwest, will
be asked of Congress this winter.
The projects will be sponsored in
the Senate by Senator Reed
Smoot, of Utah, and in the House
by a group of Congressman,
headed by Congressman R. Wal
ton Moore of Virginia.
Plans for the building have been
completed by Charles A. Platt,
architect. of the Freer Gallery of
Art and have been approved and
accepted by the National Gallery
of Art.
Relieve Congestion.
The new building, which would
come under the supervision of Doc
tor William III. Holmes, director Of
the National Gallery Of Art, would
relieve the present tremendous con.
gestion in all the buildings of the
museum group.
The new structure would be used
to house the great art collection
of the national. gallery, now in the
New National Museum. the i'm
mense history collection, now scat
tered throughout the museum group,
the textiles collection in the old
museum, the ceramics collections
and number of related exhibits.
The site for the building has
been dedicated for the purpose bv
Congress. and is So feet long by
300 feet wide. The proposed build.
ing will exceed in size the world
famed Kaiser Frederick Museum
In Berlin, the Prado at Madrid, and
the present New York and Boston
galleries. 1t will be four times as
large as the Freer gallery.
The structure will face on B
street northwest, just east of the
New National Museum. 1t will be
$50 feet long and the full depth
Of the site 800 feet.
Three Stories High.
The front elevation will be sixty
feet high. The structure will con.
tain administrative and executive
OFFICES, a library, storage ana work
rooms, room for the board of trus-
tees and an auditorium with a seat.
ing capacity for 500 persons. The
building will be three stories in
height, including the basement.
The typical galleries on the first
floor are eighteen feet high and
measure about eighteen by twenty
feet. This floor will contain an.
proxImately seventy exhibit rooms.
Tile second floor will be given
over to rooms Of a more stately
character some OF them NOR, than
Sky rect long and thirty feet
woe ana provided with a top light.
Ing system.
The building will contain three
courts, with large octaeonaI rooms
at the corners of the central court
ana at the corners Of the building.
U. S. Lays Behind.
The United States TODAY is he.
nlnc all other leading nations in
national treatment of art. Doctor
r1oInes stated. Construction Of the
proposed building will do much to
brlnG 1t up to it's fitting and proner
artistic level.
Because of tn" neglect of Con.
gress to provide adequate space,
many priceless works of art be.
queathed or presented to the Gov.
eminent have been forced into stor-
age. knowing that their gifts will
not De exhibited or will be so badly
crowded as to be at a decided dis.
advantage many American collie
tors who otherwise would have pre-.
scented collections to the Govern.
men: have hidden choice objects Of
art from the public in private gal
leries.
During the past twenty years art
objects averaging $500 900 a year in
value have been given to the Gov.
ernment. These gifts. however,
have been steadily dwindling be-
cause OF lack Of space for them.
Sees Increase of Gifts.
Il am confident that gifts to tn.
Government of paintings, sculptural
pieces; and other works of art will
increase in value to an average OF
81 ,00G, 900 or $4,000 900 a year II
this building is erected" Doctor
Holmes said.
The present collection, of the
National Gallery of Art is valued
, at between $1,000, 900 and 5000 900
Other collections which would go
into the new building are at ire
mendous value.