Friend, Albert Mathias, Jr., 1894-1956

Scope and Contents: The Dumbarton Oaks Garden Archives is a collection of over 6278 individual items of textual materials, drawings, and photographs that document the creation and development of the Dumbarton Oaks Garden, Washington, D.C. between 1920-1979. Robert Bliss and Mildred Barnes Bliss purchased the 53 acre property in 1920 known as "The Oaks" and later as Dumbarton Oaks, and within a year they hired Beatrix Farrand, a landscape gardener, to design a garden for the property that combined French,...

Scope and Contents: Handwritten letter from A.M. [Albert Mathias] Friend, Jr. to Mildred Bliss suggesting they should send [Lorenzo Tardo] Tardo something to help his Ottoeco along [L'ottoeco nei mss. melurgici. A transcription in modern and Byzantine notation of the music of the Oktoechos (Idiomeli del Vespro" and "Idiomeli del Mattutino") from manuscripts at Grottaferrata, and in some other libraries of Italy and the Near East]. He seems very prolific these days, but he did give a charming lecture and made...

Scope and Contents: Typescript letter with handwritten signature from A.M. [Albert Mathias] Friend, Jr. to Robert Woods and Mildred Bliss informs them that at the meeting of the Board of Scholars held in Washington on April 27th, 1951, it was voted to hold a Symposim at Dumbarton Oaks on "Byzantium and the Slavs". This Symposium will be conducted under the direction of Reverend Francis Dvornik, Professor of Byzantine History at Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard University and it will be held on Thursday, April 24th to...

Scope and Contents: Handwritten letter from A.M. [Albert Mathias] Friend, Jr. to Mildred Bliss expresses it is too bad about the Liszt book and the Harvard Press. He does not see why they can not get it out in 1950 if they can get a fairly final manuscript this autumn. He thanks Mildred for the copy of the letter to Jean Seznec. He hopes very much he will do it and feels after this he simply cannot refuse-he is a member of the Board of Scholars and the book is all part of Dumbarton Oaks. He feels the book will...

Scope and Contents: Typescript copy of a letter written in longhand sent from Barbara Sessions, Dumbarton Oaks Librarian, to Robert Woods Bliss responding to his letter about her health and return to Dumbarton Oaks for the fall term. She says it touches her that he and the other members of the Board [Administrative Committee] have been thinking of her. She feels that rate of progress of recovery from her illness does not securely promise a return to full usefulness when the new term begins. She believes she can...

Scope and Contents: Handwritten note from Marvin C. Ross to Mildred Bliss and sending his recently published article titled "A tenth century Byzantine glass lamp" published in Archaeology, volume 10, issue 1, 1957. Marvin tells Mildred the Byzantines were practical in their daily life. "A scholar could lower his lamp for reading or raise it for diffused light!"The article highlights a tenth century Byzantine glass lamp acquired in 1946 for the Dumbarton Oaks Collection "from a dealer who stated that...

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Copy of typescript letter from Mildred Bliss' secretary to Professor Albert A. Friend telling him that Mrs. [Mildred] Bliss asked her to write with their bookbinder's name and address: Edward Kruger, Bookbinder 181-183 Jericho Turnpike, Floral Park, Long Island, New York. She reports that he is well recommended and Mrs. Bliss has found his work satisfactory and his prices reasonable.

Scope and Contents: Copy of typescript letter from Robert Woods Bliss to Barbara Sessions, Librarian at Dumbarton Oaks, sharing his and Mildred Bliss' distress that Barbara needed to go to the hospital after arriving in Claremont, New Hampshire. He expresses their concern was lessened after hearing she had been out and about. They hope to receive glowing accounts of her "diggings" and to learn that the change of scene and air was beneficial. He mentions that during a recent meeting of the Administrative...

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Handwritten letter from Ruth Havey to Mildred Bliss reports on North Vista projects ready for construction contracts and final criticism: North Bay steps, consoles and North Court wall at house, gate finials, and consoles at North and South end of Cedar Terrace. After a meeting with Mr. Finelli, changes to the R Street gates are being made. She is sharing the Folio Room with Professor Albert M. Friend and Mr. Luciani is working in Matthew Kearney's office.

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Note from Albert Mathias Friend, Jr. with a line art drawing of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople.