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March 4, 1953 Dear Mr. Cecil: Quite a few months ago I promised to send you a list of some of the items from the Wallace-Bagatelle Collection which I had been able to identify. I take pleasure in sending it to you herein. It is far from being finished and furthermore must be corrected, revised and checked further. Would you be good enough to consider this strictly as a personal courtesy, for you will certainly understand my desire of being the first one to publish it as part of my book "Our Business was Their Pleasure". The listing you will find at the end of the chapter "The Wallace Collection of Bagatelle", which I am sending you at the same time. I thought it might interest you to peruse this chapter, and would welcome any suggestion you might have in this connection, the more so as there are certain angles which you are a great deal more conversant with than I am. A great many photographs will accompany my book and of course the items from the Wallace-Bagatelle Collection will play a prominent part. In this connection I was wondering whether you could help me in advising me how I should go about obtaining reproductions of the interiors of the rue Lafitte for instance, which appeared in your article, as well as some of those which were published in the "Connoissuer" at the time. Now, strictly confidentially, among the works of art you listed in the Burlington Magazine you mention the Boucher painting which was in the Gimpel Collection, and I am wondering whether you had an opportunity of examining it carefully. Namely, the recollection I kept [[strikethrough]] of it [[/strikethrough]] after seeing it a few years ago, was a rather disappointing one, [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] that the work was not up to the standard of quality of the other paintings by this artist originally in the collection. it seemed to me at the time that there had been either an error in the pedigree or in the attribution, but should you have another opportunity of giving your attention to this matter, your opinion would be much appreciated. Looking forward to hearing from you, and with personal regards, Sincerely yours, (Germain Seligman) Mr. Robert A. Cecil The Wallace Collection Manchester Square London W.1 England TP
