Title: Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution
Identifier: annualreportofbo1903smit (find matches)
Year: 1846 (1840s)
Authors: Smithsonian Institution. Board of Regents; United States National Museum. Report of the U. S. National Museum; Smithsonian Institution. Report of the Secretary
Subjects: Smithsonian Institution; Smithsonian Institution. Archives; Discoveries in science
Publisher: Washington : Smithsonian Institution
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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STUDIES ON MUSEUMS AND KINDRED INSTITUTIONS. 541 tologT. botany, zoology, anthropology', archeology, ethnograph)^ (also numismatics), and is well administered. The large ground floor hall, 100 by 50 feet in dimensions, with side lights on the right and left and with cases at right angles with the walls, is well lighted by large windows (tig. 86). One is here again convinced that this is the only proper method of museum lighting, since the halls on the second floor, with .skylights and two galleries, one above the other (fig. 87), are poorly lighted and sutler under reflections from the glass of the cases. The main stairway leads only to this story with its large rooms, 100 by 50 feet floor space. 40 feet high, while the two galleries are reached by an inside stairway (flg. 87). The Gothic
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Fig. 86.—Owens ( , Manch(j.--t(.'r. England, Manchester Museum. Fir.>;t floor. architecture has a disturliing etfect and detracts from the impressive- ness of the exhibits, which it overshadows. Then again, because of the favado, a ditference in height, with steps, had to.be introduced in the interior, which is inconvenient. Thus in the rear of the main halls already mentioned there is a transverse hall about 7'2 b^' 30 feet in size. The terrazzo pavement is not especially suitable, since, as elsewhere, it becomes broken. Nonelastic stone floors in museums are fatiguing to visitors. The wooden cases and cabinets are hardh^ up to strict requirements, though generall)' great care and considera- tion has been given to the installation of specimens. 8o many labels have been provided for the benefit of students that this museum really, in some portions, ma)' claim to be "a collection of instructive

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