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A. E. QUEST Copy sent to Paris Nov [[2/27]] CHESTER H. JOHNSON CHESTER H JOHNSON GALLERIES TELEPHONE HARRISON 4763 CABLE ADDRESS "CHESJOHN' 410 SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE SECOND FLOOD FINE ARTS BUILDING CHICAGO, ILLINOIS October 31, 1927 My dear Trevor: Again I am writing acknowledging your letter regarding the Vestier which is so tied up here that your Fifth Avenue squad couldn't get it. Now, this will interest you, I am sure. A few days ago the Princess Cantacuzene, a connection of the Potter Palmers, came to see the picture which I had had reproduced in The Chicago Post for the diplomatic reasons, and it was a most interesting visit because she had owned a like portrait by some lesser French artist of Vestier's time, and you can well understand her state of mind, having lost all her family treasures during the war. She hoped that this might be her picture wrongly attributed to Vestier. She informs me that this picture is a portrait of the Countess Sophia Stroganoff, and that this picture undoubtedly was taken out of Russia during their revolution, because the descendants of said Sophia Stroganoff did not know where the picture had gone to. This, of course, I think is extremely interesting and of value, and it may give you a clue as to its record. Will you kindly send me in haste one of Barriere's wooden tablets #3 to read "Countess Sophia Stroganoff" by Antoine Vestier 1740-1824. I am asking you to do this because I am sure you could get it more quickly than I could. This historical record I have reported to my client which pleased him very much. Yours truly, Chester H Johnson