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3870916 1600
21st & K N.K.

THE DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS
5200 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48202 Phone 313-833-7900 Cable DETINARTS

THE CITY OF DETROIT: Coleman A. Young, Mayor THE ARTS COMMISSION: Lee Hills, President * Ralph T. McElvenny, Vice-President * Mrs. Elvin L. Davenport * Mrs. Edsel B. Ford * Judge Damon J. Keith 
Mrs. Barnett Malbin * Max J. Pincus

27 September, 1976

Frederick J. Cummings, Director
Wm. A. Bostick, Administrator and Secretary
Dr. Robert Carlen
323 South 16th St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19101

Dear Dr. Carlen: 

With a planning grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, we are assembling an exhibition exploring the legend of John Brown in all the arts. The exhibition has been projected to celebrate the publication by our museum of a limited-edition silkscreen portfolio of the John Brown Series by Jacob Lawrence in our permanent collection. This handsome series of 22 gouaches was one of a series on Black history created by Lawrence in the years 1939-1942. Unfortunately, the gouaches is flaking off the support on most of the images so we are having the series recreated to preserve this important work. 

Of course, the three splendid paintings of John Brown by Horace Pippin are most important to our exhibition. John Brown Goes to His Hanging, is in the collection of the Pennsylvania Academy and John Brown Reading his Bible belongs to Andrew Crispo who has agreed to lend it to our exhibition. We are presently trying to locate The Trial of John Brown and are hoping that you, as one of the leading authorities on Pippin, might give us some clues as to where we might locate this painting.

Our exhibition is scheduled for September 15 through November 5, 1977 and will be shown only in Detroit. Any suggestions which you might have would be appreciated indeed.

Sincerely, 

Ellen Sharp
Ellen Sharp
Curator of Graphic Arts 

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