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Bryce, James, 1887-1964

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1887 - 1964

Biography

He was born in Scotland in 1887 and became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He married, Isabella W. He worked Robert and Mildred Bliss at Dumbarton Oaks first as a gardener under William Gray, Superintendent of the Garden then after Gray’s death in 1937 as the Superintendent of the Garden. He retired from Dumbarton Oaks in 1949. In 1959, he sent Mildred Bliss a letter from Jupiter, Florida. He died in 1964 and is buried Palm Beach Memorial Park Cemetery, Lantana, Palm Beach County, Florida.

Found in 16 Collections and/or Records:

Letter and enclosure from Irving C. Root, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Capital Parks, Washington to Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine, September 9, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 76Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:IR 1942.09.09
Scope and Contents: Typescript letter with handwritten signature and enclosure from Irving Root, Superintendent, National Park Service, National Capital Parks to Beatrix Farrand tells her their engineering department is proposing a storm water sewer through the Dumbarton Oaks Park to handle the excess water run-off from Wisconsin Avenue and other adjacent property. An enclosure indicates that James Bryce had approved a similar solution to the problem earlier. He sends her the engineering proposal and asks her...

Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine to Irving C. Root, National Capital Parks, Washington, D.C., November 3, 1941 Digital

File — Box D: 1, Folder: 78Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1941.11.03C
Scope and Contents:

Copy of typescript letter from Beatrix Farrand to Irving C. Root suggests dates for a meeting in November between John Thacher, Irving C. Root, and Beatrix Farrand about the Dumbarton Oaks Park. She is asking James Bryce to stake out a path over Clifton Hill.

Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine to Irving C. Root, Superintendent National Capital Parks, Washington, D.C., May 20, 1941 Digital

File — Box D: 1, Folder: 40Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1941.05.20
Scope and Contents: Copy of typescript letter from Beatrix Farrand to Irving C. Root acknowledges the creation of a Dumbarton Oak Park Committee. She informs Mr. Root, a fellow member of the committee, of Mildred Bliss' desire that a walk-widening or path construction be done hand in hand with other committee members. The committee members are: 1 Bliss member, 1 Harvard member, 1 Farrand member, 1 Superintendent of the National Capital Parks (Irving Root), and a fifth member to be settled upon later. Beatrix...

Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine to Irving C. Root, Superintendent, U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Services, National Capital Parks, Washington, D.C., September 14, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 79Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1942.09.14B
Scope and Contents: Copy of typescript letter from Beatrix Farrand to Irving Root thanks him for sending the blueprint showing the proposed storm water drain to be placed through Dumbarton Oaks Park. Before giving her approval she wants to see it staked out. She plans to visit Dumbarton Oaks the end of September and asks if it is possible to review this with him, Donald Kline, or the engineer. She is asking James Bryce to review the blue prints with him. She feels the more serious damage to the Park property is...

Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine to John S. Thacher, Dumbarton Oaks, 3101 R Street, Washington, D.C., May 19, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 45Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1942.05.19B
Scope and Contents:

Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Beatrix Farrand to John Thacher tells him it seems essential to have Mildred Bliss and her together while she is at Dumbarton Oaks. She sent him a telegram with her altered dates. Farrand thinks it will be interesting to hear whether he and James Bryce decided to supply plants to the National Gallery [of Art].

Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine to John S. Thacher, Dumbarton Oaks, 3101 R Street, Washington, D.C., November 3, 1941 Digital

File — Box D: 1, Folder: 76Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1941.11.03
Scope and Contents: Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Beatrix Farrand to John Thacher discusses her upcoming November 21-25, 1941 trip to Dumbarton Oaks. She reviews her planned schedule, such as who she will meet with, what they will discuss, and when these meetings will take place. She may go to Alexandria, Virginia to see some land belonging to Dorothy Straight Elmhirst's son, Michael Whitney Straight. Beatrix Farrand encloses copies of two letters she wrote to Newton B. Drury and to Irving...

Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine to John S. Thacher, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C., May 20, 1941 Digital

File — Box D: 1, Folder: 41Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1941.05.20B
Scope and Contents: Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Beatrix Farrand to John Thacher discusses the Park Advisory Committeee; the White Haven Street entrance to the Park; widening and construction of paths in the Dumbarton Oaks Park; Beatrix Farrand's next planned trip to Dumbarton Oaks; request for the budget that applies to work Beatrix Farrand will do outdoors; and how to cover Anne Sweeney's salary. There is a penciled question mark besides a paragraph discussing Anne Sweeney's salary....

Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine to Newton B. Drury, National Park Service, Washington, D.C., November 3, 1941 Digital

File — Box D: 1, Folder: 77Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1941.11.03B
Scope and Contents:

Copy of typescript letter, unsigned, from Beatrix Farrand to Newton B. Drury discusses a possible November meeting between Beatrix Farrand and Newton B. Drury about the Dumbarton Oaks Park, specifically she wants to discuss constructing a path. She encloses a letter to Irving C. Root in which she asks Root to speak with John Thacher or James Bryce. She send her and Max Farrand's regards.

Letter from Beatrix Farrand to Harry Thompson, National Park Service, North Interior Building, Washington, D.C., November 21, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 90Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1942.11.21
Scope and Contents:

Typescript letter from Beatrix Farrand to Harry Thompson, National Park Service discusses plants, numbers of them, and prices for the Dumbarton Oaks Parks and offers nurseries from which to purchase them. A copy of the letter was sent to John Thacher.

Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Valley Club of Montecito, Post Office Box 1140, Santa Barbara, California to Irving C. Root, Superintendent, National Capital Parks, Washington, D.C., March 10, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 18Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1942.03.10
Scope and Contents: Copy of a typescript letter from Beatrix Farrand to Irving C. Root asks that that he verify the existence and composition of the Dumbarton Oaks Park Advisory Committee as Mildred Bliss is uncertain of its status. She asks if he would arrange an April 14, a meeting with Mr. Kline, the architect of the Capital Parks, to review the walk on Clifton Hill, the possible gift of the stone seats and their placing, and the widening of the stream path, and encourages Mr. Root's attendance at the...

Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Valley Club of Montecito, Post Office Box 1140, Santa Barbara, California to John S. Thacher, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Georgetown, Washington, D.C., March 10, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 19Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:BF 1942.03.10B
Scope and Contents: Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Beatrix Farrand to John Thacher tells him of her plans to visit Dumbarton Oaks, during which time her assistant Ruth Havey will meet her so that together they may review the levels and possible designs for the North Vista and walls along the Herbaceous Border. Beatrix Farrand tells him that she is writing Irving Root to arrange a meeting with him or Mr. Kline, landscape architect of the Capital Parks, to address questions about the Clifton...

Letter from Ellis Russell, Tenth Floor, 67 Wall Street, New York to Mrs. Max Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine, May 25, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 50Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:ER 1942.05.25
Scope and Contents: Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Ellis Russell to Beatrix Farrand discusses the amount requested in the budget by the National Park Service for the Dumbarton Oaks Park and offered guidance on the distribution of the money under the direction of a committee appointed of the deed of trust. He has consulted with Mr. Delefield on the matter who thinks that even if a trust was created by the Blisses for Dumbarton Oaks Park, it would probably result in the reduction of the public...

Letter from John S. Thacher to Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine, May 15, 1941 Digital

File — Box D: 1, Folder: 39Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:JT 1941.05.15
Scope and Contents: Copy of typescript letter from John Thacher to Beatrix Farrand answers her letters of May 13 (D:BF 1941.05.13) and May 14 (D:BF 1941.05.14) regarding the formation and membership of a 5 person Dumbarton Oaks Park Committee. John Thacher also discusses the employment of previously-held gardeners, who would now be under the park's foreman and James Bryce. Anne Sweeney's future still appears to be undecided as John Thacher waits to see if Dumbarton can afford her salary. He says there is a lull...

Letter from John S. Thacher to Beatrix Farrand, Valley Club of Montecito, Post Office Box 1140, Santa Barbara, California, March 16, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 20Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:JT 1942.03.16
Scope and Contents: Copy of typescript letter from John Thacher to Beatrix Farrand thanks her for her March 10 letter confirming her April 12-17 visit to Dumbarton Oaks, and expresses pleasure at the news of Ruth Havey's coinciding visit given the importance of furthering designs for future plans in the gardens. He notes that he had observed Dumbarton Oaks Park personnel spraying the trees and conveys disappointment at learning from James Bryce that they lack funds or manpower to dredge the Branch. He conveys...

Letter from John S. Thacher to Beatrix Farrand, Valley Club of Montecito, Santa Barbara, California, March 26, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 27Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:JT 1942.03.26
Scope and Contents: Copy of typescript letter from John Thacher to Beatrix Farrand thanks her for her telegram and expresses delight that her health is improving but disappointment that her trip to Dumbarton Oaks is postponed. He reports that the Dumbarton Oaks Park Administration has "practically an army corp" dredging the stream and pond; he states that he has said nothing about this to Irving Root. John Thacher encloses a proposed garden budget for the 1942-1943 fiscal year and asks for her approval,...

Letter from John Thacher to Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine, June 27, 1942 Digital

File — Box D: 2, Folder: 62Identifier: DDO-RB-GAR-001, D:JT 1942.06.27
Scope and Contents: Copy of typescript letter from John Thacher to Beatrix Farrand tells her Robert and Mildred Bliss were shocked by the condition of the Dumbarton Oaks Park and made their concern clear to Irving Root and Donald Kline from the National Park Service. He reports the Blisses have probably decided to hold off on establishing a trust fund for the park until the Park Commission has taken some action. James Bryce is working with David Finley about bulbs for the National Gallery [of Art]. He is...