GENERAL INFORMATION RELATING TO THE

INSTITUTE'S ACTIVITIES.

THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE was organized in the year 1824 in response to a demand in America for an Institution similar to that founded by Count Rumford in 1799 in London. The founders intended it not only as an appropriate memorial to the name of Franklin, but as a means of continuing for all time a work which throughout his long life he perhaps regarded as his best, namely, the discovery of physical and natural laws and their application to increase the well-being and comfort of mankind.

The hall of the Institute is located on the east side of Seventh Street, between Market and Chestnut Streets, and was built from plans furnished by John Haviland, architect. The corner-stone was laid with appropriate Masonic and other ceremonies, on the eighth day of June, 1825, at noon. The funds for the purchase of the lot and the erection of the building were provided by the issue of a building loan, which was freely taken by members and friends of the enterprise, and has long since been repaid. The building was completed, and the Institute took possession of all except the second floor (which was occupied by the United States Courts until 1830), in 1826. Upon the first floor are located the lecture-room (capable of accommodating about 300), and laboratories and offices. The second floor is occupied by the library, to which special attention is paid elsewhere. The third floor is given up entirely to the use of the School of Mechanic Arts.

THE LIBRARY.

The plan of the founders contemplated "the formation of a library of books relating to science and the useful arts, and the opening of a readingroom;" and, accordingly, in 1827 the first Committee on Library was appointed.

The books forming the nucleus of the library were stored in the residence of a member of the committee until early in the year 1829, when the first reading room was opened. During the next year a special committee of twenty issued an appeal for books and contributions of money in aid of the library.

The founding of the JOURNAL, in 1826, by opening the way to the establishment of exchange relations with other societies and with the leading magazines and periodicals devoted to science and the useful arts, proved an invaluable help in promoting its growth, and thus, early, gave to the library the distinctive character which it has since maintained. From the nucleus formed by this useful agency has grown a reference library of scientific literature, in some branches unique, and, in extent and completeness, second

to none in the United States, embracing the publications of the principal scientific and technical societies of the world, and the leading periodicals devoted to science and the arts.

Several of the foreign governments have deposited with the library complete sets of their patent office publications. There are on the shelves for reference files of the specifications of the patent office of Great Britain since the year 1617, of France since 1791, of Switzerland since 1888, of the United States since 1790. Abstracts of the patents granted by Germany, Russia, Hungary and Austria can also be consulted.

The library is annually enriched, also, by the gift of numerous technical publications of a miscellaneous character from foreign governments, and from States and municipal authorities and corporations. These embrace publications relating to public works; official reports relating to geology, the mining and metallurgical industries, agriculture, public health, municipal engineering; reports of railway and other transportation companies, manufacturing corporations, etc.

For many years it has been the policy of this committee to increase the value of the collection as a library of reference, and to this end it has devoted systematic effort to the task of completing the files of its important serial publications. In this work, the committee, with the substantial assistance of several liberal contributions of money from generous friends of the Institute, has been notably successful.

At the present time the collection consists of 61,481 volumes and 47,613 pamphlets.

To inventors and manufacturers seeking for information respecting the state of the arts and manufactures, the extensive collection of patent literature which the library places at their disposal is indispensable, and the library is constantly resorted to by attorneys and their clients for the purpose of consulting these volumes; while, to the professional man and the student, the scientific and technical serials in which the library is so rich are no less indispensable as an aid in pursuing their investigation.

THE COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE AND THE ARTS.

A branch of the Institute's work, which, perhaps, more obviously than any other, illustrates the spirit which animated the founders, and which their successors have worthily perpetuated and striven to improve and extend, is that which is now conducted by the Committee on Science and the Arts.

One of the things that was, apparently, uppermost in the thoughts of the founders, was the need-as urgent then as to-day-felt by inventors and discoverers, of some competent, trustworthy and impartial body, to whom they could safely appeal for advice, and on whose judgment they could confidently rely for an opinion, as to the usefulness of their inventions and discoveries.

One of the first acts of the Board of Managers was to appoint a Board of Examiners, whose duty it was to examine and make report upon all new and useful machines, inventions and discoveries submitted to them. Sub