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University of Florida College of Arts and Sciences Gainesville Department of History October 1, 1956 Dear Mr. Seligman: I am sorry that I have not been able to reply until today to your good letter of September 12th. I am even more distressed that an extra copy of the article on David and the theater is not yet available. When I returned to the campus two weeks ago I had counted on finding the typing of the final version completed. I was shocked to discover that our departmental secretary with whom I left it over six weeks before had done only the first third! Since then routine matters associated with the start of the semester have prevented her from continuing and I am now extremely worried about the delay in completing the typing. I have actually been typing the footnotes myself, a slow and laborious process since I hunt and peck with two fingers. I have been trying without success to secure the services of a competent local typist but Gainesville is a small town and it seems impossible to find satisfactory secretarial assistance here. However I am still trying. If you should happen to have any suggestions I should be happy to hear them. Just as I was leaving San Francisco for La Jolla I received a letter from Robert O. Parks concerning your five drawings and another David sketch belonging to the Smith College Museum of Art which he is exhibiting. At the moment I was unable to answer his questions as I did not have my photographs with me. Today I received his mimeographed catalogue and I seized time to make the enclosed reply. Did you realize that David actually traced your pen and ink drawing of the three men fleeing to the left on to what would probably have been the definitive study for Le Triomphe du Peuple Français? This fact shows up clearly on a photograph which I had taken of the Carnavalet drawing. The latter is evidently a more advanced version of the Louvre sheet. As you know I hope eventually to do an article on the triomphe and your two drawings of the fleeing men and the Fogg sketch of Bayle and Beauvais will be invaluable as illustrations, yours in particular since they are unpublished. In certain respects this is one of David's most interesting compositions but we can discuss this another time if you are interested. Right now I must get back to work: My paper for the annual meeting of the American Historical Association after Christmas and my February 1 luncheon address in New York for the Society for French Historical Studies still have to be written! You may be sure that I shall send along a copy of the article on David and the theater just as soon as the final typing is completed. Also I'll mail a reprint of my article on David and the second Sacre which has just appeared in the Bulletin de la Société de l'Histoire de l'Art Français as soon as available. Needless to say I have not had time to read Mr. Schlenoff's volumes on Ingres literary sources. I should be glad to have your opinion of the work when you have examined it. Please do remember me to Mrs. Seligman and accept my cordial regards. Sincerely yours David L. Dowd David L. Dowd 1215 N.W. 12th Avenue Gainesville, Florida
Transcription Notes:
corrected spelling of "seized"
