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DR. JOHN H. FINLEY, CHAIRMAN
HENRY D. WALBRIDGE, TREASURER

"America's Making" Educational Program

95 MADISON AVENUE, NEW YORK
TELEPHONE: ASHLAND 1436

January 21, 1930

My dear Mr. Tanner:

I have been inquiring as to your possibly visiting New York in the near future, but not learning that you are expected soon, I am taking up by letter a matter in which I hope you will be interested and willing to cooperate. 

For some time I have been working on a motion picture film the purpose of which is to set forth the contributions of different groups to the development and life of our nation. The story deals with 30 different groups from the homelands of Europe and the whole theme is completed by the episode setting forth the contribution of the American Negro.

It was in that connection that we hoped it might be possible to get a short motion picture study of yourself and to reproduce on the screen at least one of your paintings, perhaps one of those at present in the Metropolitan Museum. However, that choice would be left to you.

Each episode in the film opens with the contributions made by the masses of the particular group, and a number of the episodes, including the Negro group, feature some of the outstanding individuals of the particular group. Those selected for the Negro section are Booker T. Washington, Professor Carver, Harry Burleigh, Mathew Hensen, yourself, and possibly one or two others.

The film is to be the central and culminating feature of an educational plan which will be carried throughout the country. It will be sponsored by a group of eminent Americans of which Dr. John H. Finley, associate editor of the New York "Times" is chairman, and which includes Mr. Robert W. deForest, Miss Jane Addams, and others.

The portrait of yourself, together with the titles accompanying it, would have to be satisfactory to you or they would not be used, and the Committee would wish to bear the expense of securing the portrait.

We hope you will allow us to include you in the educational film, in which case, if you are not coming to New York within the next month or six weeks, we would appreciate it if you would let us know if you could have a short motion picture portrait of about 20 to 30 feet made in the studio so that the study will be natural, for we hope to show an unacted likeness of yourself characteristicly  at work.