14
SHORT HISTORY OF ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
October, 1900, the Countess of Warwick performing the opening
ceremony in the presence of a large company.
It was at first intended to restrict the Museum Collections
to the Ground Floor of the new building, reserving the Gallery
for an Art. Gallery, but ultimately the entire building was allo-
cated to the purposes of the Museum.
On March 6, 1900, the Council decided that the Headquarters
of the Club should be, from that date, the new Stratford Museum,
and the temporary store rooms at Forest Gate were given up on
April 30.
Before this date, the Trustees of the British Museum (Natural
History) had, on the application of the Club, placed the Stratford
Museum on their list of institutions to receive, from time to time,
grants of duplicate specimens of natural history from the national
collections ; this concession was granted in July, 1899. Various
valuable gifts have since then been received by the Stratford
museum from this source.
In 1901 the Club celebrated its 21st birthday, and the occasion
was marked by an elaborate Address by Professor Meldola
(then again filling its Presidential Chair) entitled "The Coming of
Age of the Essex Field Club—a Record of Local Scientific Work,
1880—1901," in which he recapitulated the activities of the
Club from its inception to that date.
In 1901 (and even as late as 1909) it was still the usual custom
to offer "honoraria" to the conductors of field-meetings and to
lecturers at the winter meetings.
At the annual meeting of 1903 Professor Meldola resigned the
presidential office in favour of Mr. F. W. Rudler, I.S.O., F.G.S.
In this year, the "Photographic and Pictorial Survey of
Essex" was initiated, on the proposal of Mr. Briscoe, who was
both a member of the Club's Council and Principal of the West
Ham Technical Institute ; from the outset it was warmly approved
by the West Ham Education Committee. But the active interest
of those concerned in the project evaporated and in May, 1913,
the special Committee charged with it suggested that it should be
discharged, as its operations had been dormant "for about six
years" ; this was accordingly done. Happily, the work of the
Survey has in later years been revived and vigorously carried
on as an integral department of the Museum ; it is now, as our
members should be aware, in a highly flourishing condition, and