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#33 Ferry Avenue,
Detroit, Michigan,
May 2nd, 1901.

My dear Mr. Coffin:--

Earlier reply to your good letter of April 26th has been prevented by a rush of other matters, which until the present moment prevented a full consultation with Col. Hecker. This has just occurred, and we both of us feel that it would be unwise to loan our four paintings by Whistler unless you can get practically an equal number from other sources. We are led to this decision by the several conversations I have had with Mr. Whistler in the past. He dislikes very much to be unsatisfactorily represented in an important exhibition. In the present instance, you are likely to have altogether the finest exhibition of American art thus far shown, and I am satisfied that Mr. Whistler would enjoy having a good group of his things shown. On the other hand, I feel he would be disappointed to have less than eight or ten pictures in the group, particularly as the other leading American painters are to be represented by about that number of examples of their painting. Mr. Whistler has been so very considerate in helping both Col. Hecker and myself to obtain the things we have that we naturally feel that in loaning his