Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/71

Rh placed in the store rooms with more permanent material and should also be easily accessible when the artists call for them if they have been rejected or after the exhibition is over. There must also be storage space for janitor's supplies, catalogs and office supplies of all kinds.

FIRE RISK, RESTAURANT

Fire, theft and dust are the three great enemies of the museum Director. For some reason that is hard to explain, we, in America, are subject to a fire peril which is unknown in Europe. In Italy, for instance, it is a common experience to see a carpenter occupying a shop in the ground floor of a big apartment building, sweep together his shavings into the middle of his shop, set fire to them there, and then sweep the ashes into the street. Nothing ever burns down; whereas here with all the precautions that we take against fire we are constantly having terrific disasters. In most cities in America there are police regulations which must be complied with in regard to fire doors, etc., and the law in regard to entrances is very strict. All doors must be made to open out so that in case of fire the exits will not be impeded. The number of staircases, also, is regulated by law and often there are requirements in regard to the thickness of the walls. With all