Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/111

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PREPARATION FOR THE COLLECTIONS
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of the Boston Museum. Here the wood is oak, slightly stained but not polished. In the central cupola room of the Dresden Pinakothek, a very elaborate panelling of some dark wood, perhaps walnut, has been used. This is darker in color and forms an admirable foil for the gold of the frames and the jewel-like colors of the wonderful paintings shown there.

In the long tapestry gallery connecting the Evans Wing with the main building of the Boston Museum the walls have been lined with blocks of travertine brought from the neighborhood of Rome. The effect is delightful. There is a certain warmth of tone in the travertine and an unevenness of surface that make a beautiful background for the tapestries hung in this hall. A similar use of stone may be seen in some of the galleries of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin.

FLOORS

The question of floors is a very varied one and leaves much to the taste of the individual museum Director. It has usually been considered that in the main entrance hall and in the corridors on the ground floor marble is the most appropriate; this particularly because marble can be easily washed. The marble to be used varies, according