Letter from John Thacher to Beatrix Farrand, Reef Point, Bar Harbor, Maine, July 30, 1945 Digital
Scope and Contents
Copy of typescript letter from John Thacher to Beatrix Farrand thanks her for the two very nice letters and to hear she is well. He is delighted that Robert Woods Bliss is getting away to California. He knows Mildred Bliss' trip [to France] will be a hard and emotional one, it will give her great pleasure and satisfaction in a great many ways. He tells Beatrix that as of now he doesn't think it necessary for her to make the trip to Dumbarton Oaks this Autumn based on the travel restrictions and difficulties. He would rather James Bryce not leave Dumbarton Oaks for Reef Point because Thacher expects to be put on inactive duty in the Navy in the near future and plans to be away for four or five weeks vacation. It would not be wise for both of them to be away from Dumbarton Oaks at the same time. James Bryce will write to Beatrix himself about the little oak trees. He agrees with her on the postcards and feels it is the poor quality of the paper. It is hard to reproduce photographs well on the type of paper that one is allowed to use at present. Nevertheless, the postcards are selling like hot-cakes. He doesn't think it is necessary to do anything about the paving in the Green Garden this year. James Bryce has done a splendid job filling in the middle walk with crushed agate between the greenhouse and the pool on Crab[apple] Hill. The steps at the end by the pool have been eliminated making it easier to get wheelbarrows, lawnmovers etc. over the path and Mildred Bliss is happy about it as he is sure Beatrix will be. They are planning to remove one or two large apple trees in order to give the smaller ones a change because they are getting quite choked in that area. The North Vista side walls are looking much better now that the vines are making themselves felt. Robert and Mildred Bliss and John Thacher are looking forward to the day when two iron gates can replace the wicket gates on the east and west sides. He still has reservations about the North end of the North Vista which he wants to discuss with Beatrix. He reports Anne Sweeney is leaving on vacation at the end of the week and will be back September 4. He thinks Anne has done a splendid job this year with the garden tours and her reports show the large number of people she has to take care of. He is going to discuss the bulb order situation with James Bryce and will let her know the results.
Dates
- Creation: July 30, 1945
Language of Materials
Materials chiefly in English with a few items in Greek, Latin, French, Italian, or Spanish.
Conditions Governing Access
An appointment is required for access to these papers. To request an appointment, fill out the online form: http://www.doaks.org/research/library-archives/access-and-hours/schedule-an-appointment.
For research queries, contact the staff of Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives (library@doaks.org).
Extent
23 boxes (Approximately 2632 items including correspondence, expense reports, invoices, estimates, deposit records, book lists, newspaper clippings, newsletters, and plant lists.)Creator
- From the Sub-Group: Farrand, Beatrix, 1872-1959 (Person)
- From the Sub-Group: Thacher, John, 1904-1982 (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Dumbarton Oaks Repository
Dumbarton Oaks holds archival collections in its Rare Book Collection, Image Collections and Fieldwork Archives, and the Dumbarton Oaks Archives. The collections include: the papers of noteworthy scholars in the three fields that Dumbarton Oaks supports (Byzantine, Pre-Columbian, and Garden and Landscape); image collections depicting objects or sites of topical interest to scholars in the three fields; Beatrix Farrand’s personal archive of letters and original drawings that document the development of the Dumbarton Oaks Garden; and institutional records and architectural plans and drawings documenting the history of Dumbarton Oaks. For more information about hours and to make an appointment to consult any of the collections listed here, please fill out the request form: https://www.doaks.org/research/library-archives/schedule-an-appointment