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California Palace of the Legion of Honor 
Lincoln Park 
San Francisco, California
Telephone Skyline 3124

July 11, 1936.

Dear Bob:-

I was delighted to have your letter of inquiry this morning - but I must confess that I felt very guilty at seeing your name on the envelope. However, my delay in answering your previous questions has been occasioned by the fact that Miss Harriet Levy has proved to be a stumbling-block. She has completely ignored my letters to her. This does not altogether surprise me, for she is apt to call up suddenly and give me the information I want - never once thinking that I have been waiting to her [[hear]] from her for months. I have the other material ready for you - but if there is a chance of your coming out to San Francisco I shall hold it for you. 

Now, as to the legitimate reasons for urging your to come to California; In the first place people here pay relatively little attention to the seasons - hence there is no great exodus from town to country that you find elsewhere in the U.S. People do, of course, have country places and make a considerable fuss about going away during the summer, but generally speaking they are in and out of town from June to September. I think that I can arrange for you to see all there is to see in San Francisco - and let me warn you that there is not one single private collector of national importance in this whole rich city. The same applies also to the "peninsula" (Burlingame, San Mateo etc.) - which is the local Long Island. There are, to be sure a few people here with fine things - the Crockers, the Sidney Ehrmans, Mrs. Armstrong Taylor (and don't forget to remind me to tell you all about her! though I imagine you have the dope on that lassie already!), the Herbert Fleishhackers, Miss Levy, the Edmond Herrschers etc. I hate to admit it, but Los Angeles and Hollywood can boast closer approximations to real private collectors than can this god-given part of the state. To be "scrupulously honest" I should have to admit that if you never saw California collections your artistic horizon would not be seriously limited, yet the beginnings are to be found, and in another ten years something interesting will have developed. So, as a good field for future activity, I think that you should see California. I can truthfully urge you to come out for one reason (aside from the natural assumption that Francesca and I are worth the trip!)- and that is the fact that we have two young friends who are well-endowed with the world's goods and who have a sizeable country place (inherited from the groom's mama - the couple in question were married less than a year ago) which is crying for tapestries and furniture and pictures. They want to do things gradually as jewelry and pretty clothes are the bride's first concern, but I think that they might be excellent prospects. They are leaving here on the 3rd of August 

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