Evening star., 1935-10-27

MUSEUM
Exposition of Departments Work Will Cover
Many Fields and Constitute Twenty
Third of Kind in National Capital.


Indians economic system te ;:.aicate
the progress Of white cultural contacts
on the hves of the natives. and to
bring out the gradual determination
of the buffalo" The other shows life
on a modern reservation.
The General Land Once exhibit will
be laid out in 81 separate parts. each
one telling a distinct story. Some of
these cases, maps, paintings, objects.
will depict the development Of the
survey method; the connection of the
Land ONCE with the settlement Of the
West, conservation Of natural re-
sources, transportation; land bounties.
grants and patents. Miniature groups
will show the Oklahoma land rush
and grazing on public lands, and one
complete display is devoted to Alaska,
where two-thirds Of the public land
Is located today.
One feature Of the Bureau of Recla-
nation exhibit will be series of wall
and ceiling murslS depicting the win
ming Of the West by irrigation. A do
rama Of Boulder Dam and one of the
! Columbia Basin projects at Yakima
Valley will also have its specially de-
signed niche in this section of the mu-
scum.
Case displays will show the history
and organization Of the bureau. views
OF the bureaus dams and typical steps
in the construction of a project. A
large illustrated map ,of the West
(where all Reclamation Bureau work
takes place., displaying all Federal
projects, will be featured. In addition
there will be two swinging racks Of
photographs Of works done, and in
progress by the bureau, and case de-
voted to historical documents Of i'm
portant bureau jobs.
The Geological Survey exhibit "has
been planned to interpret the survey
in a simple yet dignified way, UNDER
standable to an adult layman and Of
interest to professional scientist"
Among the most interesting features
here will be one part, called the geo.
logic time table, in which will appear
the classification adopted by the sur
vey, and an accompanying suite of fos-
sils to suggest to the layman the prin-
ciples Of correlation and evolution.
| There will be, beneath an arch-Shaped
| geologic cross-section of the United
! States, series Of five dioramas de-
picting scenes relating to geologistS
and topographers in the field, coal
mining open-cut mining. develop
ments Of power sites and oil-field de.
velopments
Cases will present miniature models
of mining districts and oil fields, suites
Of ore specimens. exhibits showing
methods of microscopic rock studies.
Another diorama will represent the
famous Roswell artesian basin. to
illustrate the geologic and hydrologic
conditions that produce artesian flows.
Wall and floor cases will demonstrate
how the survey gathers data for its
thousands Of survey maps and how
these maps and charts are assembled.
The historic old boat used by Col.
| c. H. Birdseye in his notable mapping
expedition through the Grand Canyon
in 1928 will form the exhibits CEN
terpiece in the south hall Of the
museum.
THE Bureau Of Mines display sec
tion will devote itself to telling
in simplified visual form the story Of
the bureau To that end 1t will con.
tain series Of paintings showing our
vast unseen empire under the earth
and cases displaying all minerals and
metals found in the United States.
Conservation of men and resources,
model mines equipped with tiny men
and tools, visual explanations of the
bureaus work in the new field Of geo.
physical prospecting, displays of safety
devices in mines and a graphic dio-
rama showing a mine disaster will
also be included in this portion of the
museum
This diorama, which will dominate
the end Of the alcove in the bureaus
portion Of the museum, is described
as follows: The scene catches a
dramatic moment at the mouth of q
mine shaft following a serious explo-
sion. The wrecked hoist and tippls
fill much Of the scene, while at one
side stands the Bureau of Mines safety
car. Beyond the storm fence in the
background the frantic women and
children fix the essential tragedy Of
the event. The central group is the
rescue crew gathered about the bureau
! engineer who is to lead them under.
ground. They listen to his final in.
structions as they adjust their oxygen
apparatus. The last man is struggling
into his as he runs from the safety
car. 1t is the tense moment before
these men disappear into the burning
mine"
memorandum of March of this
year established an Interior Museum
Exhibits Committee composed of DR..
Russell as chairman, DR.. Alexander
Wetmore, executive secretary of the
National Museum. and Miss Edna
Groves Of Indian Affairs.
Upon the recommendation of this
committee, the fifth wing of the first
floor has been set aside in the new
building for the museum. The desig-
mated space, 11,750 square feet. was
to be devoted Ito an exposition OF
the purposes and results of the work
Of the principal bureaus that come
within the Jurisdiction of the Depart
ment of Interior" Throughout the
building small areas were designated
by the architect for the purpose Of
special displays and exhibits required
by the several agencies having need
Of such additional exhibit space not
supplied by the main museum area.
IT WAS determined that the collec-
ton should be different from the
accepted definition Of the term 'mu-
scum" with its customary displays Of
general scientific nature and county
fair array. 1t was determined that
the museum should not be influenced
by the classic in its interior decora-
ton, nor 60 to the opposite extreme
of ultra modern, but should strive
for q pleasing, harmonious entity
along conservative modern lines"
The object Of the Museum Commit
tee was to make of its DISPLAYS a vital