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 404: NEW YORK (CITY) departments to the beginning of 1874 was $529,394 72, the greater portion of which was raised by renting parts of the building. There are a number of commercial colleges and musi- cal conservatories and schools. The American institute was incorporated in 1829, and is de- Academy of Design. signed for the promotion of agriculture, com- merce, manufactures, science, and the arts. It has 'a valuable library in the Cooper institute, where its meetings are held. Fairs are held annually in October under its auspices in the capacious building in 3d avenue and 63d street, which attract great numbers of visitors. At the close, premiums and medals are awarded to exhibitors. The American geographical society, also in the Cooper institute, was organized in 1852. It has a valuable library of works devoted to geographical science and a collection of 2,000 maps and charts. The New York historical soci- ety, in 2d avenue and llth street, founded in 1804, has a library par- ticularly rich in American history, and possesses the Abbott collection of Egyptian antiquities, the Lenox collec- tion of Nineveh sculptures, a fine gallery of paintings, &c. The lyceum of natu- ral history, in Madison avenue, besides a good library, has a collection of 3,000 specimens of plants. The American museum of natural history, in Central park, was incorporated in 1869. Its collections embrace Indian antiquities, minerals, shells, and stuffed and mount- ed specimens of animals, birds, fishes, insects, &c. It has a library comprising 1,000 volumes of rare conchological and scientific works. It is open to the public, except on Mondays and Tuesdays, which are reserved for special stu- dents and the teachers and pupils of the pub- lic schools. The metropolitan museum of art, in W. 14th street, besides a gallery of paint- ings by the old masters, contains the Cesnola collection of Cypriote antiquities, and collec- tions loaned by wealthy citizens, embracing modern pictures and statuary, pottery and por- celain, arms and armor, medieval manuscripts, antique and mediaeval cu- riosities, and various arti- cles of vertu. Admission is free on Mondays; on other days a small fee is charged. The national academy of design, found- ed in 1826, occupies a unique building of gray and white marble and blue stone in 23d street and 4th avenue. It has a col- lection of paintings, and in spring and summer gives exhibitions of recent works of American artists. It also maintains free schools for advanced stu- dents in art. Booth's the- tre, in 23d street and 6th avenue, is a fine capa- cious edifice, built of Con- cord granite in the renais- sance style, 149 ft. long and 99 ft. high, including the Mansard roof of 24 ft. The Grand opera house, in 8th avenue and 23d street, is a handsome white marble structure in the Italian order, 113 by 98 ft., and 80 ft. high from base to cornice. The Lyceum theatre, in 14th street near 6th Booth's Theatre. avenue, has a handsome front and portico in the classical style. In all of these general dra- matic representations are given. The other theatres have little architectural attraction, but many of them are capacious and elegantly furnished. The leading comedy theatres are "Wallack's, in Broadway and 13th street; the