Bliss, Robert Woods, 1875-1962

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Letter from Sumner McK. Crosby, Yale University to Robert and Mildred Bliss tells them Jacques Guignard is a Focillon Fellow of the French Government and as Curator of Rare Books at the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, he is interested in seeing as many American collections as possible while in the United States. Crosby asks them if they would share any information they have with Guignard.

Scope and Contents: Typescript letter with in French with a handwritten signature from the Conservateur of the Musee de Dijon to Robert Woods Bliss. Translated to English he tells him that a street in Dijon has been named in honor of Henri Focillon. On the occasion of the inauguration of this path, with the approval of Mrs. Focillon, he is going to present an exhibition on Focillion, as an art historian, and his father, Victor Focillon as an engraver. He asks Robert Bliss to be a part of the sponsorship...

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Handwritten letter in French by an unknown correspondent to Mildred Bliss.

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Signed handwritten letter from an unknown person [name illegible] to Mildred Bliss expressing appreciation for meeting her, seeing her collection and garden at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C. The correspondence asks Mildred Bliss to let her know if she is interested in receiving a colored photograph of Barbarini's mosaic. A drawing of a stately building on the water (possibly in Venice) with this letter.

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Signed handwritten letter [name illegible] to Mildred Bliss and Robert Woods Bliss. The letter accompanied two gifts for the Blisses. Quince preserves made from the fallen Quinces in the Dumbarton Oaks Garden and a book that was supposed to arrive for a Christmas gift to add to the Garden Library collection. The correspondent tells the Blisses of the therapeutic qualities of the quinces (Cydonia Vulgaris Persoon) according to the "Hortus Sanitatus".

Scope and Contents: Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Violet Niles Walker (Mrs. Joseph G. Walker) to Mildred Bliss tells her after the meeting yesterday she failed to catch Mildred to thank her for the invitation to visit Dumbarton Oaks and how sorry she was at being unable to be "among those present." Walker was obliged to return home immediately after the meeting. She is sorry as she had hoped to meet Mr. [Robert] Bliss also, for Walker remembers having a delightful lunch at his mother's house...

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Correspondence between Mildred Bliss and people and companies with the first or last name of M. Includes a correspondence with a drawing of a mural in the Church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople (now Istanbul), a mailed picture postard of "The Famous 'Vinales' Valley, Pinar del Rio, Cuba, and a photograph stamped 1938 of a model of Dumbarton Oaks with an open museum courtyard.

Scope and Contents: Two handwritten letters from Francoise May, daughter to Paul May, Belgian ambassador to the United States, to Mildred Bliss. The letters request opening the Dumbarton Oaks garden to benefit the Girl Scout Troop 53 and then thanks Bliss for doing so. A letter dated April 21, 1934 tells Mildred May apologizes for bothering her because she knows how busy Mildred is. She asks if Mildred would open her beautiful garden for the benefit of the Girl Scouts Camp Fund. May explains the fund enables...

Scope and Contents: Copies of nine typescript letters, five in English and four in French to various recipients informing them that Barbara Sessions, Dumbarton Oaks Librarian, would be traveling to area to acquire books and publications for holes in the Dumbarton Oaks collection and asks for the recipient to meet with her and offer advice or offer help to her if needed. Letters sent to Professor Wolfgang Friedrich "Fritz" Volbach, Vatican Library, Rome; His Excellency, The Honorable Wm [William] C. Bullett,...

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Typescript letter from William E. Willis to Robert and Mildred Bliss asks for a financial contribution to publish a book in honor of Professor David M. Robinson, an American classical archaeologist. Two letters from Glanville Downey to Mildred Bliss discourages the contribution. Copy of typescript letter from Glanville Downey to David M. Robinson on behalf of Robert and Mildred Bliss tells Robsinson that they are unable to make a contribution to the cost of publishing his volume.

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Correpondence including letters, picture postcards, photographs from Marvin C. Ross to Robert Woods Bliss and Mildred Bliss discussing Byzantine antiquities and cameos held in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection. The bulk of the correspondence is directed to Mildred Bliss. Also included is a newsclipping of Guggenheim awardees in which Marvin C. Ross is mentioned.

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Newspaper clipping of the Georgetown Garden Club tour which included Dumbarton Oaks. Organizer of the tour was Mrs. Herbert (Ruth Stanley-Brown) Feis. The Dumbarton Oaks estate of Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss has 53 acres and 40 gardeners.

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Handwritten note from Josephine Poe January to Robert and Mildred Bliss? Offers good Christmas wishes to who gives so much. "Beauty is a presence in your house - I find it on the rafters of the music room ...". It is courtesty of the Blisses. She thanks them for sharing it with her.

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Typescript note about securing train travel for Beatrix Farrand's visit to Dumbarton Oaks in September 1943. The note indicates Robert Woods Bliss may be contacted to help. Uncertain who created note. Handwritten notation indicates Farrand is coming by way of N.Y. according to James Bryce.

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Picture postcard with signed handwritten note from Francis Dvornik to Robert Woods Bliss and Mildred Bliss thanking them for a recent enjoyable conversation with them. He informs them he is in Canada at a French retreat house (photo on postcard is of Villa Saint-Martin, Maison de Retraites Fermees per hommes, 9451 boulevard Gouin ouest, Pierrafonds, Quebec) and said mass for them and the success for Dumbarton Oaks.

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Postcard from Beatrix Farrand on behalf of her and her husband Max Farrand to Mildred Bliss and Robert Woods Bliss offering their fondest love at Christmas. Included is a list of meetings in the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens from March 19-April 17, 1934?

Scope and Contents: One postcard with handwritten message from Marvin C. Ross to Mildred Bliss with VIII Congresso Internazionale di Studi Bizantini, Palermo 3-10 Aprile 1951 written on front and "Rome" written in upper right on back. Marvin tells Mildred that the trip has been perfectly magnificent. The Congress at Palermo was successful and people loved your beautiful bracelets with the gems. Rome seems more fascinating than ever. He reports the new Madonna (IV-VII?) is very impressive indeed and the newly...

Scope and Contents: Six postcards sent from Marvin C. Ross to Robert Woods Bliss and Mildred Bliss discussing his travels to Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, and Czechoslovakia.Postcard #1 postmarked August 12, 1957: front side only addressed to Honorable Mr. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, France, but sent on to Hotel Ambassador, Vienne, Autriche [Vienna, Austria]. Postcard sent on expedited by Morgan and Cie, incorporated, [Vend]ome 14, Place, Vendome, Paris (1er); par avion. Marvin used Russian stamps and...

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Typescript press release from Irving C. Root, Superintendent of National Capital Parks announces a sponsored nature walk through Dumbarton Oaks Park on the morning of July 13, 1941 led by Louis C. Wheeler, a Ranger-Naturalist for National Capital Parks. Handwritten note in top, left hand corner in either blue or faded black ink, "This is a popular weekly event."

Scope and Contents: Typescript RCA Radiogram from Barbara Sessions, Dumbarton Oaks Librarian, to Mildred Bliss and Robert Woods Bliss informing them that the Italian Decree [anti-Jewish laws] is effective October 16 and deprives [Teodoro "Doro"] Levi of professorship [Professor of Classical Archaeology at the University of Cagliari]. The situation is desperate since the stipend is their only income. She asks if [Levi's] services as a filed [e.g. field] archeologist [e.g. archaeologist] could possibly be...

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Extrait of an article from Neuen Zurcher Zeitung.

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Western Union telegram from Beatrix Farrand to John Thacher responds to his earlier request for Beatrix Farrand's opinion on whether he should visit Mr. and Mrs. Bliss in California (D:JT 1941.03.21). Beatrix Farrand encourages him to visit the Blisses, preferably when she is in Santa Barbara as well.

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Western Union telegram from Beatrix Farrand to John Thacher thanks him for the nice messages and reports that she is recovering. She asks him to telephone Irving Root urgently to press for immediate action regarding the branch conditionsin the Dumbarton Oaks Park which Beatrix Farrand regards essential to park upkeep. She asks him to make no promises, but will relay news to neighbors [Mildred and Robert Woods Bliss].

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Copy of text for telegram from John Thacher to Beatrix Farrand informs her that he will consider her questions and concerns regarding Anne Sweeney's work arrangements at Dumbarton Oaks; and shares the news that Robert Bliss has developed phlebitis.

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Postal telegraph, The International System, from Mildred Bliss and Robert Woods Bliss to Beatrix Farrand. The Blisses hope that Max Farrand will benefit from Maine as they do from Wyoming. They have an offer for the Michaux tree book for nine pounds as against American offers of $125. They ask Beatrix if they should tell Anne Sweeney to advise Mrs. Ethel Clark about the offer. They eagerly await Farrand's autumn visit. Signed "Devotedly to MaxTrix [Max and Beatrix Farrand].