Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/119

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PREPARATION FOR THE COLLECTIONS
95

and even this never seems to fully remove the dust. In the Pinakothek in Dresden the experiment has been made of using a carpet with a thick pile in one of the rooms. This is, of course, a great luxury and is most welcome to the museum visitor, but whether it is practical or not one is inclined to doubt. At the time that the writer was in Dresden, the carpet had only been laid a few months and looked very well, but one would want to see the carpet after it had been down three years in order to judge whether the expense was justifiable. The fire danger is, of course, slightly enhanced by a carpet, and also as a moth breeder it is to be avoided.

TRIM

Marble doorways and baseboards should never be used in exhibition galleries. The reasons for this are, that the museum Director is hampered, in choosing the color of his decoration, by the color in the marble, and, as stated before, the museum must not be in itself so grand as to rival in interest the exhibits. A plain wooden trim in a neutral tone, neither too light nor too dark, is to be preferred. In many cases it will be found possible to do away with door trim entirely, making the plaster turn around the opening. Where the floor is of marble the baseboard should also