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SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Washington, U.S.A.

ALL CORRESPONDENCE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE SECRETARY

UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES
BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY
NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK
ASTROPHYSICAL OBSERVATORY
INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE

January 31, 1920.

Dear Mr. Volk:

On receipt this morning of your favorable endorsement of the two paintings recently purchased from the Ranger Fund, I am writing the National Academy of Design that the pictures are acceptable for the National Gallery of Art. From the accounts of the fire at the Academy building, however, we fear they have been destroyed.

The Advisory Committee on the National Gallery of Art was organized by the institution in order to insure the maintenance of the Gallery at a proper standard for a national collection, and in accordance with the Institution's custom of securing the advice of recognized experts in all lines of its activities. Objects tendered the Gallery are in every case inspected and passed upon by at least two members of the committee.

In the present case Mr. Henry Ward Ranger left some $200,000 to the National Academy of Design, the income to be used for purchasing paintings by American artists, the picture to be given to art institutions in American maintaining public galleries, upon the express condition that the National Gallery of Art shall have the option and right to take, reclaim and own any picture so purchased by the Academy, provided such option is exercised at any time during the five-year period beginning ten years after the artist's death and ending fifteen years after his death.

When this fund became operative, after consultation with officials of the Academy, it was decided better for all concerned for the National Gallery to pass on the paintings at the time of their purchase, when they would be in New York, and also as the pictures, when sent out, could then be labelled as belonging to the National Gallery. It was accordingly arranged that, on receipt of notice from the Academy of a purchase from this fund, the Gallery would at once send a subcommittee of its Advisory Committee to inspect 

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[[image]] drawing of Smithsonian Institution]]