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- Page III - December 16th, 1937 handled. You must understand that if I undertake any negotiations on your behalf, I must have these drawings at my disposal at any minute and at all times because you can readily see that I might have to run down to see Belle Greene with the drawings at a moment's notice. Therefore, they cannot be kept either in a vault or with a friend of yours whom it might be difficult to reach at any time of the day, or for that matter, even in my own home. Regarding the question of insurance, I am of course pleased to note that all of your drawings are insured with Lloyd's of London under an all-risk policy. However, there are certain questions to be taken up despite this comprehensive insurance. You state in the latter part of your letter that you wish to know whether I have an insurance which covers my responsibility in connection with lack of care of any persons who may have to do with the drawings on my behalf. To this I reply that I have not, nor has my firm. The only way that this matter can be solved, and I might add that this identical problem has come up with us many times in the past, is for you to communicate with Lloyd's at once by cable, asking them to issue to this firm an insurance certificate renouncing all recourse against me and/or this firm as well as customers and/or prospective customers, as long, of course, as title has not passed to them. We must obtain this confirmation in writing from Lloyd's of whom you realize we are very good customers and this for a great many years. Therefore, you will realize that by doing this you don't in any way minimize or hamper your own insurance, but that we have to ask for this as self-protection. Otherwise, we would have to take another insurance which, of course, we would not wish to do in view of the expense entailed, in order to cover ourselves against a possible recourse from Lloyd's against this firm should anything happen. When you write this in accordance with your insurance policy you have to be advised and consulted before these drawings can be moved from one place to another, I do not suppose and cannot conceive that you want me to ask every time for permission, or advise you by telegram, every time I am going to take any or the whole group of drawings to the possible customers, institutions or private people who might wish to study them before making up their mind. You will realize that such a method would only cause tremendous delays and confusion, and irritate beyond necessity those who might be interested. On the other hand, will you be good enough to let me know whether your insurance would for instance automatically cover your drawings if I should leave them on approval at some institution, say the Morgan Library, for a few days while they were to study them or possibly show them to the Trustees prior to purchase. If not, then, of course, in such a case I would advise you immediately. It is understood and agreed, however, that I will transport or carry myself the drawings at all times when they leave the building. t.s.v.p.
