Viewing page 288 of 535

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

284

[[Checkmark]]

33 Ferry Avenue, East,
Detroit, Michigan,
January 27th, 1909.

Dear Mr. Gaffin:-

Your letter of the 25th, inst. is received and carefully considered.  The difficulties which I have met with during ever so many years in attempting to obtain satisfactory photographs of Whistler's most interesting paintings, have until recently, practically discouraged me from making further attempt, but the Lumiers process offers fresh hope.  Professor Fenollosa devoted a lot of time to experimenting with this process in Paris last summer and when he and I met in Munich, just prior to his lamentable death, he spoke in the highest terms of the fine quality of the slides he had just secured, and he was looking forward with delight, to their use in lectures he was then planning to deliver in America this winter.

Your desire to work in the same field with Whistler's Art as your principal topic, appeals to me.  If satisfactory slides, in color, can be obtained, your lectures will, I am sure, give great pleasure and much instruction to thousands of people and honor the Master's work as well, so, under the following conditions, I am willing to cooperate with you, namely:

All slides made from the Whistlers in my collection, are to be submitted to me approval.