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[[preprinted]] JOHN J. CUNNINGHAM 111 EAST SIXTY-FIFTH STREET NEW YORK 21, NEW YORK REGENT 7-9880 [[/preprinted]] May 27th 1964 Dear Germain: Your kind note received this morning and herewith the photographs with best wishes for their elucidation. This morning, in accordance with agreement, I called Sweeney and his son answered (barely awake, I'd say at 10 a.m.) saying... ^[["]]Mr. Sweeney is out of town.....to whic^[[_]]h I incredulously said...^[["]]but I have an appointment with your father^[["]]....and at that moment as though already on the wire, a voice said....^[["]]This is Laura Sweeney Mr. Cunningham. James expected to go to Boston tonight (Wednesday) but received a call yesterday and left at once for the meeting there to begin this morning. And in addition he has been asked by Harvard to discuss with them the Charles Eliot Norton memorial program, so will not be back until Friday night.^[["]] I said....^[["]]what about next week^[["]] to which she replied ^[["]]Well, he has to go to Houston...in fact MUST go to Houston. After which, of course he has to go to the Bienniale in Venice....and as he has been asked by the Shah, he is taking on the Persian Exhibition at the National Gallery^[["]].....I said ^[["]]how can he keep up such a program^[[?"]].....she said..."Well we will have a little rest in Ireland where we have a little house on the West Coast" but"he has got to stop trying to do so much." (I called Mrs. Parker and reversed the proceedings, as I had forwarned her of our visit today.) I go into so much detail because I want you to have the whole story. Mrs Parker reminded me that the gallery is closed on Saturday. [[underlined]] I could [[/underlined]] leave the transparency at 120 East End Avenue, but knowing your steadfast object^ion to such a plan, am not doing so. Of course, Laura did not know for sure that he is going direct to Houston so [[underlined]] maybe [[/underlined]] I can get him in on Tuesday....or even Monday. You know of course how disappointed I am to be writing this... especially after having had such a cheery message to send you last week. I shall phone him (or her) again on Friday morning....I [[underlined]] am [[/underlined]] an optimist but confess there is something about that picture that seems to frustrate all our best efforts. I recognize the fact that you are pressed^[[,]] so will desist...all the best and maybe you will have something to tell me about the BATTLE which so far, has eluded us. I have again looked at Fromentin literature but without any real result. Sincerely, [[signed]] John [[/signed]] John J. Cunningham Germain Seligman, Esq., Hotel Ritz, 15 Place Vendome, Paris, FRANCE.
