Building History, Description and Significance Historical Background and Context 1.1 The History of the Building and Its Context the proper disposition of this bequest, Congress The Arts & Industries Building (AIB), built between established the Smithsonian Institution. The enabling 1879 and 1881 and known originally as The National legislation directed the construction of an appropriate Museum Building, was constructed to receive, building and creation of a museum, library, art exhibit, and preserve the collections of the natural gallery, and lecture hall with half of the income from resources, arts, and industries belonging to the the Smithson fund. The museum thus established national government. It was the first such building by law in the care of the Smithsonian Institution was on the National Mall. The impetus for construction described as follows: of the building was the acceptance by the U.S. Congress of the enormous donations of both foreign That, in proportion as suitable arrangements can and domestic exhibits from the 1876 Centennial be made for their reception, all objects of art and Exposition in Philadelphia. The design of the of foreign and curious research, and all objects building was inspired by exposition architecture of natural history, plants, and geological and as it had developed since the Crystal Palace in mineralogical specimens belonging, or hereafter London in 1851. Although Congress appropriated to belong, to the United States, which may be in the funds, designated the site, and approved the the city of Washington, in whosesoever custody design, the trust-funded Smithsonian Institution (SI) the same may be, shall be delivered to such was responsible for planning and actually building persons as may be authorized by the board of the museum. Once completed, the Smithsonian regents to receive them, and shall be arranged in Institution was responsible for building exhibition such order, and so classed, as best [to] facilitate cases and preparing to open the museum to the the examination and study of them, in the building public. At a time when the idea of the museum as an so as aforesaid to be erected for the institution.2 encyclopedic national collection and place of public education and recreation was still evolving, this was a In November 1846, the governing Board of Regents challenging task. accepted the Norman Romanesque design of architect James Renwick, Jr. (1818–1895) for the The National Museum Begins in the Smithsonian construction of the Smithsonian Institution Building Footnote 1: First Report of The Institution Building (SIB). Eminent American scientist Joseph Henry Secretary of the Smithsonian The English scientist James Smithson (1765-1829) (1797-1878), appointed by the Regents as the first Institution to the Board of died on June 27, 1829, bequeathing more than half secretary or director of the Smithsonian Institution, Regents, presented December a million dollars to the United States of America arrived in Washington in December 1846 with clear 8, 1847, (Washington: Ritchie & “to found at Washington, under the name of the programmatic goals. Steadfastly focused on the Heiss, printers, 1848) 4. Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the creation of a great institution dedicated to original increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.”1 scientific research and the dissemination of the results Footnote 2: U.S. Statutes at On August 10, 1846, after lengthy deliberation on through publication, Henry bitterly criticized diversion Large IX (1846): 102. of half the income of the Smithson fund to purposes Historic Structure Report & Conditions Assessment Smithsonian Institution Arts & Industries Building 08.31.2009 1.1 – 1 1: Strolling on the Mall in Front of the Smithsonian Institution Building, c. 1849 SIA, RU 95, B 30, F4A 2: The Crystal Palace. Dickinson’s comprehensive pictures of the Great Exhibition of 1851, (London, 1854) SIL 3: The transept of the Crystal 1 2 3 Palace designed by Sir Joseph Paxton, at the Great Exhibition unrelated to this goal. He considered the design building was perfectly adapted to the display of the of 1851, Hyde Park, London. and the expense of construction and continued natural resources, arts, and industries of the exhibiting Hulton Archive/Getty Images. maintenance of the SIB excessive and unnecessary. countries. It became itself the most impressive of At the same time, he acknowledged that a museum these exhibits and would be the inspiration for the was “not incompatible” with his plan of research and many international expositions that would follow. publication, and that a working library was necessary These expositions would, themselves, become the to carry on the work of the Institution.3 In spite of inspiration for modern museums and groups of Henry’s objections, the cornerstone of the SIB was museums world-wide (See Figures 2 and 3). laid on May 1, 1847. In the years to come, Henry would continue to protest diversion of the limited The Crystal Palace was very different from the Smithsonian funds for the support of the museum historically referential Norman Romanesque collections and the Smithsonian Institution Building castle then under construction for the use of the (See Figure 1). Smithsonian. Design of the complex red sandstone building preceded the final determination of the In 1851, Joseph Henry wrote to fellow scientist Smithsonian program. Symbolic in concept, it Michael Faraday (1791-1867), “I regret to say that the had little to do with the work Henry planned for the building, though picturesque, is not well adapted to Institution. Henry commented, “It is surely better, Footnote 3: Ibid, 8-10. the wants of the 19th. I consider the crystal palace in the construction of such an edifice, to imitate the the true architectural exponent of the feelings and example of the mollusc, who, in fashioning his shell, Footnote 4: Joseph Henry, 4 The Papers of Joseph wants of the present day.” The Crystal Palace, adapts it to the form and dimensions of his body, Henry, Volume 8, January built in London that year, housed the world’s first rather than that of another animal who forces himself 1850-December 1853: The international exhibition — the Great Exhibition of the into a house intended for a different occupant.” As Smithsonian Years. Edited by Works of Industry of all Nations. Glass and iron, light the construction of the building progressed, Henry Marc Rothenberg. (Washington and soaring space, a single open exhibition floor, the requested a number of changes in the interior layout and London: The Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998.) 189. Historic Structure Report & 1.1 – 2 08.31.2009 Smithsonian Institution Arts & Industries Building Conditions Assessment Building History, Description and Significance Historical Background and Context 1.1 4: Museum in the Great Hall that would adapt the building more effectively to of the Smithsonian Institution the needs of the Smithsonian. These included Building, 1857. SIA, RU 95, B enlargement of the lecture room to seat 1000 persons, 41, F 15. Although the Great a more convenient arrangement of the physical Hall was two stories, the apparatus and laboratory rooms, increased library drawing shows three stories. space, and additional fire-proofing.5 Spencer Fullerton Baird (1823–1887) joined the Smithsonian staff in 1850, appointed by the Board of Regents as Assistant Secretary in the Department of Natural History. Baird found a collection of unorganized, 4 privately donated, natural history specimens already in Since experience has shown that the building the possession of the Smithsonian. He added his own will ultimately be filled with objects of natural collection and received donations of many others as history belonging to the general government, he developed the basis for a great museum of natural which, for the good of science, it will be necessary history. Henry, still opposed to the idea of a museum to preserve, it may be a question whether, in under the care of the Smithsonian, resolved “to confine consideration of this fact, it would not be well to the collections, principally, to objects of a special offer the use of the large room immediately for character, or to such as may lead to the discovery of a national museum, of which the Smithsonian scientific generalizations.”6 In vain, he advised the Institution would be the mere curator, and the Regents to refuse the government’s collections. With expense of maintaining which should be paid by completion of the construction of the SIB in 1855, work the general government.8 began on museum exhibition cases. The transfer of the collections of the national government, which were The cases in the museum room which were to receive held at the U.S. Patent Office, occurred in 1858. Relieved the collections from the Patent Office were “arranged Footnote 5: Henry, AR 1850, 61. of this responsibility, the Department of the Interior in two stories, forming a series of alcoves and a arranged for the annual Congressional appropriation of gallery on each side”9 doubling the space that had Footnote 6: Henry, AR 1850, $4,0007 to be transferred to the Smithsonian for the care been available in the Patent Office. As the size of the 21-22. and exhibition of the collections. The Commissioner collections predictably increased, Henry repeatedly of Patents had entered into a cooperative agreement suggested that Congress take over the major part Footnote 7: Henry, AR 1858, 14. with Henry the previous year to continue and expand, of the building for use of the National Museum and at the U.S. government’s expense, the system of appropriate funds to support both the National Footnote 8: Henry, AR 1856 to meteorological reporting initiated at the Smithsonian. Museum and the Smithsonian Institution Building (See 28 January 1857, 22. Henry’s interest in the museum grew as he Figure 4). recommended that the Regents accept the collections Footnote 9: Henry, AR 1858, 15.