Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-08-29

makers? In the south wing. In the
field of matchmaking the museum
starts with the present and works
backward. Incidentally, the first
model made was that OF the steam
liner S. S. President Hoover, which
took two men more than two years
to model in every detail. There are
models of the Monitor and Merrimac
and also of the ships which hrst
sailed into jamestown Harbor in 1907.
AN OUTSTANDING group Of ex-
hibits is the collection OF small
boats from many parts of the world.
These craft are of many sizes and
shapes and all of them, are propelled
either by oars or sails-there isn't a
power driven boat among them. The
collection is located under the COL
onnades which form a three-sided
court. at one side at the southern side
of the museum buildings. The small
est member of the collection is an
Eskimo kayak, about or 7 feet long,
designed to keep only one person
afloat. The largest Is a Portuguese
craft that looks as if it might have
come from the pomp and display OF
the Middle Ages, and which Is around
so feet long, without any decking.
The craft itself is fairly shallow, pos
sibly 10 feet from keel to gunwales.
But the prov and stern are curved
upward to point several feet higher
in the air, and brought back to points
actually over the boat itself. Mani
festly she was built to ride the waves"
She is painted in a phantasmagoric
design which time has almost erased.
Newest addition to the collection of
small boats is a racing shell, an eight
cared craft of the type used by the
present-day college crew. To the I'M
Informed person this might not seem
to have outstanding museum value.
Perhaps not today. But in later years
1t will be of considerable interest as
an important link in the complete
group Of typical American vessels Of
the present era now being gathered
by the museums staff Of collectors.
South of the center display room
Is a wing devoted to reference library
and reading room. Cases containing
rare books line the walls, the regular
stacks occupying the center of the
room. Including maps, charts, books
and pamphlets, there are between
10000 and 10000 volumes on marine
subjects in the library. Many of them
are so old 600 to 400 years. that the
regular services of restorer of vol
umes have been engaged.
One of the library's proudest pos
sessions Is Mark Twain's original
license as a Mississippi River pilot.
The librarians office is Just beyond
the reading room. Visitors or research
workers receive every consideration
on the part of the library staff in
assisting them to locate desired vol
umes. Books may not be taken from
the building under any circumstances,
however.
Slowly but steadily the museum
officials are trying to build up q col
lection of movies and photographs
relating to the seven seas. They now
have hundreds of photos and thou
sands of feet of motion pictures show
ing every step in the progress of the
construction of an ocean-going ship.
Movies of the liner President Coolidge,
taken when it was under construction,
which require about three hours in
their showing, are part of the mu-
scum equipment.
Just behind the main building
y lovely winding lane leads down to
the forest-fringed boat house, stu
ated on an arm of Lake Maury. OF
the boat house are anchored Tarpon
Springs, Fla. sponge boat; a Chesa-
peake Bay log canoe and bay fish
erman's pound skiff. Bride and
walking paths wind through the woods
by the lake side.
Near the main dam Is placed an
imposing statuary group, "Conquering
the Wild" designed by Anna Hyatt
Huntington, wife of the founder and
an internationally known sculptress.
This group has been erected in mem
ory of Coils Potter Huntington (18l2-
1900, founder of the Neport News
Shipbuilding Drydock Co.
Speaking of founders. the donor of
the museum is Archer M. Huntington,
chief owner of the above company
and son Of Coils Potter Huntington. |
The institution Is one of several mu- |
seums of various kinds which Mr.. |
Huntington has developed or Is de-
veloping in various parts Of the
United States.
First work toward the development
Of the institution was done In 1880. |