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617

#33 Ferry Ave.,
Detroit, Mich.,
Jan 24th, 1900

Mr. Ralph H. Plumb,
Care of The Buffalo Bolt Company,
Buffalo, N. Y.

My dear Mr. Plumb:-

After receiving from you the newspaper giving me the information of Mr. Albright's munificent gift, it occurred to me that a new and very important impetus is to be given to the Fine Arts in your city, and that, without doubt, the man whom you eventually choose to take charge of the art exhibition of your forthcoming Pan-American show will, necessarily, become an important factor in the establishing of your new museum and it's contents. In view of all this, I have given the matter very careful thought, and I am not at all prepared to confirm my early opinion, which was more or less impromptu, and I, of course, at that time did not know of the importance the question had in view of the present circumstances. I am quite sure that neither of the two gentlemen named are qualified to advise in either the establishing or conducting of an institution such as Mr. Albright proposes. You will, I am sure, not misunderstand me when I speak thus frankly, neither will you consider me presumptuous in suggesting that you need a person competent to select casts, and create the policy under which the new museum shall be