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January 28th, 1939

My dear Ludy: 

I am most remiss in thanking you at this late date for your kind Xmas card which Helen and I appreciated, particularly not having seen you at all since last year. 

I trust that things are progressing nicely for you and that you are satisfied in your new venture. 

There is some information I would like to ask of you. To begin with, what have you ever done with your drawings, if I am not being indiscreet? Have you sold any of them? Are they still for sale, or has the situation altered in such a way that you are no longer desirous of disposing of any of them? I had heard that Schaeffer had them, but did not know whether this was true and also if he was just storing them for you or whether he had them for sale. 

Secondly, some weeks ago, I chanced to see Dr. W. R. Valentiner whom you no doubt know, and he told me that he was helping on this side in the organisation of the Leonardo da Vinci Exhibition to be held this summer in Milan, and that he was working on certain drawings and so forth in this country. I was indiscreet enough to mention your drawing, but without disclosing your identity, and he asked if he might call on me for help in this regard when the time came. 

I am in receipt of a letter which I am enclosing herewith, from my very good friend, Jack Newberry, who is Dr. Valentiner's assistant in Detroit, and who is here at the time working on this Leonarda problem, as Valentiner is preoccupied with the organization of the World's Fair Exhibition. I am sending you the original letter, so that you can judge the official nature of this enterprise. 

I have no personal feelings one way or the other on this subject, except that I do wish to point out that I am not, by any means, urging you to lend your drawing to the exhibition as, in view of the situation abroad, I cannot truthfully say that I am in sympathy with conditions which are known to you as fully as to me, and, further, see no special reason why any of us 

t.s.v.p.

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