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14.

5. Scientific Work

a. Research by members of the staff.

At the beginning of this fiscal year the curator was on active Naval duty engaged in the preparation of a confidential engineering history of Naval aviation. His Museum background was extremely useful in this task; the research applied to this history of the Navy Department was thus to some extent associated with Museum experience and procedures. Since his return to the Museum he has occasionally been consulted by officials of the Navy Department regarding this history. At the present time a compilation along similar lines with confidential items deleted is in preparation by the Navy. The curator has assisted with suggestions for its outline and with the supplying of various relative facts. 

As stated in the Introduction to this Report, the majority of the curator's time has been spent in preparation of appraisals, estimates, lists, correspondence, and other details relative to the National Air Museum. At this project takes shape it requires frequent research into procedures and plans to determine the best standards of museum practice, or modifications of ideas as they may be applicable to the proposed organization. 

The showing of a Columbia motion picture, "Gallant Journey," released during the fall, extolled the life and aeronautical accomplishments of John J. Montgomery, 1861-1911. Some details of the picture, particularly its subtitle, "The story of the first man to fly," and its omissions of contemporary work by other inventors, stimulated public interest in determining specifically the part which Montgomery had played in the general development of aircraft. For many years the Museum had attempted to augment its exhibits on Montgomery but with little success. It became increasingly necessary that this Museum's records should be complete [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]]