Der Lutheraner St. Louis, Missouri — 25. Oktober 1927 ff., Seite 387

German transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

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8Der ＋ utheraner

387

entirely unique, which must be given their place in the ex⸗-
hibits, suitably marked and properly cataloged.

Here is a helmet, gauntlets, and belt, very gorgeous, I as-
sure you, of the Uniform Rank of the Knights of Pythias.
Lopen a portfolio, and merely turning the papers therein con-
tained, I note a beautiful lithographed portrait of Delitzsch
in his earlier years, another of Dr. von Harless, another of
Nev. Grabau. Rare steel engravings illustrating the life of
Dr. Luther. An unusual lithograph showing Martin Luther
and Gustavus Adolphus. Another large portfolio containing
water-color sketches of bits of German scenery made 125 years
ago. Real works of art. Here a pasteboard box containing
a valuable collection of manuscripts and prints, dating from
the 50˙s and 60's, relative to the founding of the Lutheran
Church in Australia — the gift of the sainted Dr. A. L. Graeb-
ner, brought home from his trip to Australia.

There are at present enough books, manuscripts, photo-
graphs, prints, and paintings in this collection to occupy our
Curator, Professor Heintze, for a number of years. But to
give the students of Concordia Seminary as well as visitors

Luther's Arrival at the Wartburg.
After a rare steel engraving, owned by the Institute.

to the institution an opportunity to view these relics of another
age, they must be suitably displayed and cataloged. For this
purpose we require a great number of cabinets and display
cases. The museum owns a very valuable collection of gold,
silver, and bronze medals connected with the history of the
Reformation and of the Lutheran Church. The more beautirful
or signiflcant specimens should be mounted for exhibition
purposes.

And the gifts continue to flow in. Valuable manuscripts,
drawings, photographs, and books have been received at fre-
quent intervals since the Historical Institute was organized.

We have said enough to demonstrate the need of general
and enthusiastie support for the purposes of the Institute.
There is now on hand an immense amount of historical material
which awaits cataloging and proper arrangement. All this
costs money. Museum cases and cabinets are expensive. The
Work of cataloging, with adequate descriptions of the various
articles, manuscripts, etc., is beyond the capacity of the Cura-
tor, most of whose time belongs to the Pritzlaff Library; some
kind of assistance must be provided in order that our collec-
tion may be arranged and cataloged. At present it is in a state
of confusion, quite useless to the historian and meaningless to
the visitor. These thousands upon thousands of manuscripts,
pamphlets, and books fairly ery out for the hand of the skilled
cataloger. And he, in turn, requires shelves, cabinets, display

cases to do his work. The Concordia Historical Institute pleads
for your assistance. All who love our Synod's past, all who
would advance the study of Lutheranism's history, are requested
to send their membership fee to our Financial Secretary,
Mr. Theo. W. Eckhart, 3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, Mo.

How the Concordia Historical Institute Works.

The Concordia Historical Institute has its headquarters at
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Its purpose is outlined in its
constitution as follows: —

„The purpose of this Institute shall be to cultivate
a more general interest in the history of the Lutheran
Church of America, particularly of the Ev. Luth. Synod
of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States; to stimulate his-
torical research and to publish its results; to collect and
preserve articles of historical value; and the better to
execute these purposes, the Institute shall have the
power to hold, purchase, lease, sell, exchange, and re-
ceive by gift or bequest, all kinds of property, real and
personal, and to do all things necessary to carry out the
objects of this organization.“

Membership is granted to communicant members of con-
gregations of the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other
States or of a synod affiliated with that body. There are three
classes of membership: Active, at 52 per annum; sustaining,
at 55 per annum; life, at 8100, single payment; all of which
inelude the privilege to vote, hold office, and subscription for the
Institute's Bulletin. The meetings of the Institute are held
triennially at or about the time when the Ev. Luth. Synod of
Missouri, Ohio, and Other States has its regular convention,
and in the same city. The election of officers is always held at
the triennial meeting.

During each triennium the work of the Institute is super-
vised by the Board of Directors, consisting of the president,
vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and three members elected
by the Institute.

The Board of Directors elects the Executive Committee out
of its midst. The Executive Committee annually reports the
budget of expense to the Board of Directors. It supervises the
work of the Curator, Librarian, and Archivist and approves of
all purchases made for, or on behalf of, the Institute.

The Board of Directors appoints the Curator, Librarian,
and Archivist and otherwise supervises the work connected with
catalogs and inventories of the property, its arrangement in
a museum for security and convenient reference. It also pub-
lishes reports of the work of the Institute.

The duties of the various officers of the Institute are the
usual ones connected with such offices. The duties of the
Curator may, however, be outlined in detail, so as to give our
readers an insight into the work connected with this office.

The Curator has direct charge of, and is responsible for,
the Library, archives, museum, and all tangible property of the
Institute. He is to be on the lookout for historical documents
relative to the history of Christianity, particularly of the Lu-
theran Church (especially of the Missouri Synod), and shall
negotiate for their transfer or loan to the Institute. The
Curator supervises the archives of the Institute, classifying and
cataloging all manuscript records, also maps, photographs, and
other pictures pertaining to the history of Christianity and par-
ticularly of the Lutheran Church, until the Institute elects an

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