RECEIVED JAN 2 3 1953 January 21, 1953 -aKfiCTOB Mr. Francis Henry Taylor, Director Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 28, New York Dear Mr. Taylor: On behalf of the Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery, we wish to thank you for making possible the visit of Mr. and Mrs. Gardner here last week. The visit was most helpful to us, and we appreciate the assistance and recommendations given by Mr. and Mrs. Gardner. I want to reiterate again our appreciation for your cooperation. Yours very truly, Edward Moore President EMrlmf THE METROPOLITiVN MUSEUM OF ART INTERDEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM RECEIVED To F. H. Taylor January 19, 1953 JAN 20 1953 From A. T. Gardner olKECTOK On Wednesday afternoon of last week, Mrs. Gardner and I went to inspect the art gallery at Canajoharie, New York. We spent the entire day Thursday in the gallery and storeroom and saw approximately 250-500 paintings. We .also saw more paintings belonging to the Art Gallery which are used to decorate the local Old Ladies Home, the Canajoharie Hotel, and the Beechnut Company Plant (from whence all blessings flow). The collection is very good in a spotty way and until the last few years purchases were all made by two members of the Arkell family which controlled Beechnut and also the other local industry, Smith and Arkell Paper Bag Company (known as "the Sack Factory"). Until recently the chef d'oeuvre of the collection was considered to be the full scale copy of Rembrandt's Night Watch. This takes up one whole wall of the gallery - miscellaneous architecture fills the opposite wall, leaving only two walls for the exhibition of the collection of American Paintings. The whole Art Gallery Committee and the President and the Curator are all new and they asked a million questions about running an art gallery which we answered to the best of our ability. It looks like a promising set up but they are still hampered by descendants of the founders and very little money. We suggested they sell at auction the duplicates and dogs and use the proceeds as the beginning of an endowment fund. The Committee paid all our expenses. P.S. They also own what is supposed to be Rembrandt's easel - in my judgment an 1880 parlor job of carved bog-oak. Edward Moore, Pres. Art Gallery Committee (Beechnut vice Pres, Purchasing?) Miss Susan Elithorpe (sister of President of Beechnut) Mrs. Roger Smith (wife of official of Smith & Arkell) Everett Dievendorf (Insurance) Thomas Vharmby (employee of Beechnut) Curator of Gallery NICHT LETTER Kirch 25, 1954 MR. JOSEPH S. HUTCHISON, DIRECTOR CANTON ART INSTITUTE 1717 MARKET AVENUE NORTH CANTON A, OHIO CONGRATULATIONS OM THE CIVIC SPIRIT VHICH HAS MADE POSSIBLE THIS NOT A-LF EXPANSION OF THE CANTON ART INSTITUTE THE MFTROPCLIT SEW OF kSS SENDS GREETIHGS AND GOOD VISHES AND HOPES THAT THE NEV BUILDINGS AND TNCRFA.SFD ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTE MAY BE A CONTINUING SOURCE OF PRIDE AND SATISFACTION TO YOUR COMMUNITY FRANCIS HENRY TAYLOR CANTON ART INSTITUTE 1717 MARKET AVENUE: NORTH CANTON O H RECEIVED March 23, 195*+ 5 1954 Mr. Francis Henry Taylor, Director The Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street New York, Nev York Dear Mr. Taylor: Friday evening, March 26. at. 8 f .M.. the Canton Art Institute, a nineteen year old hinderlane?1 Art Center, will open and dedicate its Fry Memorial Gallery, Auditorium and Library. This event marks the dedication of a memorial to John Hemming Fry and Georgia Timken Fry, American artists of some repute. The new work includes a large gallery, (to house the ^+5 painting and bronze Fry collection) auditorium and a library gallery room to house the library of art assembled by the Frys, an elevator, fire escape - and other renovations to our H. H. Richardson 'ish' Romanesque fortress building. The project involved an expenditure of fifty thousand dollars per capita wise that rivals your own renovation program. Would appreciate a congratulatory word from our big sister institution on the Atlantic Shore - even collect. Sincerely, //y Joseph S. Hutchison / Director JSH:pm t '•-? 1933 t«pb S, tbon, Cirsoter 1717 »rth, ltchi* &i I b«v« ettb#r . ue ; . A. a "tply trt will not b& av ioaa ri ol . cL we arc im -, urating aic. I ba-1 at trilis t: - . i Ia/lor Dir. June 7, 19-49 Mr, E. Milby Burton, Director The Charleston Museum Charleston 16, South Carolina Dear Mr, Burton* Marshall Davidson has given me your letter of May 27th, The Museum has at the present moment certain regional long-term loans: Springfield Museum of Art, Massachusetts; Dayton, Ohio} Colorado Springs; Richmond, Virginia; Santa Barbara, California, There probably will be similar deposits made in Portland, Oregon; Dallas, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska. Ap­ plications are pending at New Orleans and now yours in Charleston. The Museum's loan policy is developed according to the following principles. (1) Me have the regular short-term loans for specific objects for a particular exhibition or event, (2) Circulating exhibitions operated through the Board of Education in the High Schools and Junior High Schools of Greater New York. (3) A project now on foot to provide for a period of three years twelve exhibitions to be circulated jointly by the American Federation of Arts aad he College Art Association. (.4) The long-term deposits mentioned above. I am planning to call a meeting of the curators later on this month to go over all the various applications now pending to see what material there will be available. I hope very much that we can meet your request in this matter and it will give me great pleasure to bring your letter to their attention at that time, I doubt very much if any of this material will be available in any case before the autumn but it is necessary to work out our plans pretty well in advance because there is a great deal of house labor and clerical work involved. I hear of you occasionally from Josephine Pinckney and still hope that I can make a visit to Charleston. ¥ith kindest regards, Sincerely yours Francis Henry Taylor Director cc: Mr. Remington^x April 10, 1946 Mr. S« Milby Burton, Director The Charleston Museum Charleston 16, South Carolina Dear Mr. Burton: The complete report of the Fine Arts and Monuments Commission is not yet avail­ able but will be by the first of July. The person to write to for the report when published is Mr. Huntington Cairns, Secre­ tary, The American Commission for the Pro­ tection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, National Gallery of Art, Washington 25, D» C. He can also tell you what materials are available pend­ ing completion of the report. Sumner Crosby can be reached through the Xale Gallery of Fine Arts, New Haven. Sincerely yours Francis Henry Taylor Director FOUNDED 1773 INCORPORATED 1915 ®fa> (tttjarleHtntt Mmmm CHARLESTON 16, 5. C. March 23, 1946 Dr. Francis Taylor, Director, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New *ork, N. Y. Dear Dr. Taylor: Since my return from Europe, I have been asked by several service clubs, as well as others, to give a short talk on the destroyed art of Europe, and I am writing to ask if any report has been published by the -Hne Arts and Monuments Commission, or if there is any other source material that I can use. I am wondering if you would be good enough to give me the address of Sumner ^rosby. I had the pleasure of seeing him in London last year. (ok (tfadb^ ±P %^i a, Sincerely yours, E. Ifilby Barton, Director reB/ ftR March 12, 1946 The Right Honorable Winston Churchill ..alaorf Astoria Park Avenu8 and 50th Street New York 21, Haw York Dear Mr. Prime Minister: If by any chance while you are in New York you could find tbe time to visit the Metropolis us? ©urn, X Should be most happy to maks any its to suit your con­ venience. Knowing of interest iu art, it occurred tc »e thsb you might *ish oo visit. m ini'crniaily on Sunday corn­ ing when tha (I 'lea *re closed to the public. Tbe KuSSUB. does net open until one o'clock on Sua and you fculd have an opportunity! therefore, ci seeing t\ pictures without being inconvenienced by the public. We would, of course, give no publicity to A=uch ft wislt, in cue event oi" your being able to come. If your secre­ tary would telephone me at the Museum, Rhinelander 4~7690, I will Mice such arrange­ ments as are satisfactory to you. Sincerely yours Francis Henry Taylor Director New York, NY March 21, 1946 Dear Mr. Taylor, I have been asked by Mr. Winston Churchill to thank you for your letter. He much appreciates the kinr^es^ which prompted your invitation, but his time in New York was so limited that he regrets he could not accept. I feel sure you will understand the position Yours sincerely, 7*" Mr. Francis Henry Taylor, Director, The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York R'C ^ DEC 28 1951 ^ UIHECTOB # °*^/C DEl*0^ 3339 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WASHINGTON 8, D. C. HO .l6pA6. THIS NO. SHOULD BE PREFIXED TO THE ANSWER December 21, 1951. Dr. Francis Henry Taylor Director The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 28, N.Y. Dear Dr. Taylor: I wish to acknowledge your letter of December 20, 1951, and I shall be pleased to forward the communication you enclosed regarding the visit of Dr. Filippo Magi to His Eminence, Cardinal Canali, at the first opportunity, With sentiments of esteem and every best wish of this Holy Season, I remain Sincerely yours, f Archbishop of Laodicea Apostolic Delegate a *-u*v* CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR GOVERNMENT ARTS PROJECTS THEARTSDEFEND DEFENDTHEARTS I !2 EAST 19th STREET, NEW YORK CITY ALgonquin 4-9425 HON.