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Dr. Gordon Gibson of the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History's Anthropology Department reviewed the collections of the Museum of African Art in some detail two years ago.  According to his report, which compared the Museum of African Art's collection to the African holdings of the Museum of Natural History, "The types of materials represented in the two collections differ significantly:  Those in the NMNH cover all aspects of traditional life, while those of the MAA are concentrated chiefly in art of styles first produced mainly for magical and religious purposes . . . the two collections together would form one of the best assemblages of African ethnographic material in the United States."  Also of note is the world's largest collection of paintings by Black American artists of the 19th Century, particularly the works of Henry O. Tanner and Edward M. Bannister.

Since its founding the Museum's physical plant, which originally consisted of the historic Frederick Douglass House at 316 A Street, N.E., on Capitol Hill, has grown to include eight of the nine row houses immediately adjacent.  (The owner of the ninth, which abuts the Frederick Douglass House, has recently died and the Museum is keen to buy that additional property.)  These buildings currently house the Museum's galleries, offices, laboratories and sales shop.  In addition, the Museum owns 16 garages and one carriage house used