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[[preprinted]] [[bold]] SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION [[/bold]] 805 [[/preprinted]] own and in much surpasses the European Renaissance, and as I have surrounded the paintings of the American Renaissance by master-pieces of the world's art of four thousand years or more, the art of the world is really assembled. It is said that it will be quite impossible now to assemble such a collection of American Master-pieces in paintings and that the entire collection as shown is unique. It will be essential that the trustees arrange to assume all the expense involved in keeping and caring for the collection in the Heckscher building, including the lease that I signed in 1928 at $11,000 a year, for five years. A yearly cost for rent - $11,000 Curator, who I think is nearer perfection than any museum curator in America, yearly - $5,000 Cost of lighting, telephone, window cleaning, Holmes protection and other expenses, yearly [[underlined]]1,000 [[/underlined]] $17,000 All cleaning including floors is personally attended to by the curator. All exhibits and show cases are arranged by the curator, no other person is allowed to touch them. These galleries would make a wonderful office for the National Gallery. Thanking you for your deep and kindly interest, I am. Most sincerely yours, (Signed) John Gellatly Hecksher Building, 730 Fifth Avenue, New York City, March 30th, 1929. Gari Melchers, Esq., Chairman, National Gallery of Arts Commission, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. Melchers: I noticed that the paragraph in my letter of March 27th 1929, to you referring to the Trustees assuming expense is not altogether clear, and perhaps the following words will make it altogether clear to the Trustees: It will be essential that the Trustees from the date of the acceptance of the Gellatly gift assume all the expenses involved in keeping and the caring for the Gellatly collection while in the Heckscher Building, including the unexpired term of the five year lease at eleven thousand dollars ($11,000) a year which began May 1st, 1928.Mr. John Gellatly on his part will pay all expenses and the rent up to the date his proposed gift [[initialed]] CGA [[/initialed]]
