Viewing page 143 of 158

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

Dear Germain

Page 22
June 12
LEIGH B. BLOCK following letter received and copy of my reply enclosed

"Dear Mrs. Parker:
I am sorry for the delay in answering your letter of June 3rd, but I have been out of the city.
Mrs. Block and I were amazed when Mr. Seligmann did not offer us a better price on the Delaunay. I cannot remember when a dealer has given us less than 20%, whereas your offer amounts to about 6%. In view of this and the face that Mrs.Block is not terribly enthusiastic about the painting, I have turned it over to the Art Institute today for return to you via Air Freight.
In regard to the Richard Florsheim belonging to the Inland Steel Company, which you recently had on exhibit, in view of the strike of Railway Express I suggest that this picture be sent by Air Freight, when the exhibit is over, to the Art Institute, marked clearly for the Inland Steel collection. Upon its receipt, payment will be made immediately.
I do hope that we will be hearing from you when you have other things that you think would be of interest to us.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Leigh B. Block   
Personally I think a $300 (three hundred) reduction was ample on the reasonable asking price. He had agreed to pay Dick Florsheim the full $1200 (one thousand two hundred) for that Florsheim painting so I thought we might be nearly as clever; I evidently failed.

PYX 3670   We have an offer from a gentleman, Mr. John S. Mitruska of Perth Amboy, N.J., who had never been in before the current show, for $175 (one hundred seventy-five)for the pyx. We are asking $350 (three hundred fifty). It cost $150 (one hundred fifty) and the gentleman no doubt expects a counter proposition. Could I tell him $215 (two hundred fifteen)?

PROF. WEITZMAN    of Princeton was in this morning, examining the ivory crucifixion with great care; said that one of the Spanish museums of old decorative arts had a whole series of statuettes similar to "St. James" and looked at the displayed manuscripts. We looked at the D'Arenberg catalogue and he chose to see No.3, with the silver gilt cover. Showed a scholarly interest in the cover alone but I doubt that it is more serious than that because he did not ask the price. Of course he may remember the price we had on the manuscript at the time he was in during our show, incidentally he did not ask the price of the ivory either.

MRS. BARTON ROBERTSON   As I had a long personal letter from her as [[strikethrough] well [[/strikethrough]] as did Miss Morrison, we both know she has no address at the moment nor will have until she comes North, so we shall just convey your message verbally then. 

COLT-DAYTON     I have not written him your congratulations as certainly at this time he is far too busy getting settled to care and secondly it would be better for you to write a personal note in Sept.

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-03-03 22:21:23 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-03-04 09:22:56 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2024-03-04 17:03:31