Viewing page 56 of 116

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

^[[handwritten note in French]]

Extract from Letter to Mr. C. H. Burroughs, Arts Commission, Detroit, Mich. 

December 29, 1921

D: ROOM C-36 OF KEY PLAN: At the request of Dr. Valentiner, the writer went last week to the showrooms of Messrs. Seligmann and Sons, 705 Fifth Avenue, New York City, to see a French XVIIIth century room, the purchase of which has been recommended to the Commission by Dr. Valentiner. 

This room is a wonderful piece. To place it complete as it is in the Museum would be something without par in any American museum, as all the exhibits in the Morgan collection are more or less fragmentary, while this room is absolutely complete, with its two marble fireplaces, mirrors, basreliefs, even the hardware of the time. It is a beautiful piece of woodwork.

We have worked out on plan D an arrangement, which, by making use of exiating openings, gives a good circulation through the room. The three big bay windows on one side would be rebuilt. Through these windows might be seen pieces of sculpture placed between the walls of the room and our own outside wall. We would let the outside windows of the building extend the full height, securing therefore inside of the room an illumination as good as direct outside light. The ceiling height in this room will not be over twelve to thirteen feet, as shown on the rough section on the accompanying plan. The necessity of placing doors M, M and O and one partition in the right position makes it desirable that we should be advised as soon as possible by the Arts Commission of their intention in regard to the purchase of this room.

Here again we can fully approve the suggestion of Dr. Valentiner