Mr. Richard B. Seager, in charge of the Cretan excavations, and Dr. Edith H. Hall, Assistant Curator of the Mediterranean Section, started in February for Crete in order to select new sites for excavation. The expedition expects to begin its actual operations in April.
On January 15th, at 8 P. M., Mr. Edward S. Curtis, author of the “North American Indian,” lectured at the Academy of Music under the auspices of the University Museum on “The Story of a Vanishing Race.” Mr. Curtis exhibited series of his photographs illustrating the different Indian tribes of North America and showed several moving pictures to illustrate some of their more striking customs, such as the snake dance A the Hopi.
Through the courtesy of Mr. Edward Curtis, a selected series of two hundred A his highly interesting photographs of she North American Indians were placed on exhibition in the Museum on January 7th. It was first intended that this exhibition should remain for three weeks but owing to the great interest shown in it by the public, arrangements were afterward made to keep the exhibit open until April. The pictures continue to attract a large number of visitors and excite a great deal of interest.
The Museum lecture course held on Saturday afternoons at four o’clock has proved this year to be especially interesting. The auditorium has in each case been crowded and in several instances overflowing. The warm expressions of appreciation which have been received from many members indicate general satisfaction.
Mrs. Lucy Wharton Drexel bequeathed to the Museum $50,000 to be disposed according to the discretion of the Trustees and an additional $20,000 for making collections of casts.
On the afternoon of January 27th a tea was given at the Museum in honor of Mrs. Joseph Lindon Smith, who, on that afternoon, lectured on her personal recollections of modern Egypt.
On Washington’s birthday, the faculties of the University of Pennsylvania gave their annual tea at the Museum, at which about eight hundred invited guests were present.
At a meeting of the Board of Managers, held on March 15th, the Building Committee reported that funds were in hand for the erection of additional portions of the Museum building. The Committe recommended that authority be given them for the erection of the rotunda as planned and, in addition to this, an extension of the new galleries eastward, as soon as the associated architects shall have completed the plans thereof. The Board approved the recommendation of the committee.