Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Valley Club of Montecito, Santa Barbara, California to John Thacher, Dumbarton Oaks, 3101 R Street, Washington, D.C., April 4, 1947 Digital
Scope and Contents
Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Beatrix Farrand to John Thacher tells him it is a relief to know his pain is easing as sciatic aches can drain one's energy. It pleased her that Thacher signed his last letter to her "affectionately yours." The unspoken reason to retire from the active position of consulting landscape gardener is that the combination of the physical and psychological work at Dumbarton Oaks is too heavy a strain to carry without a [health] set-back. She accepts she will retire from Dumbarton Oaks on June 30, 1947. She can discuss [Dumbarton Oaks garden] things with Robert Patterson at Reef Point and during an occasional visit with Thacher in Boston. She will urge Robert Patterson to take on the Consulting Landscape Gardener position, and she hopes he will accept. She feels she can continue with the Arnold Arboretum work because that is a coherent unit, working together, with few secondary questions. She can physically meet with all "my chief's" together, get decisions, which are carried out when possible, and to drive around the establishment without bodily fatigue. She feels Anne Sweeney deserves a "big raise" as it would be impossible to replace her with someone for that salary. Anne has not only ability, but a good temper. She asks him what he thinks of Anne coming to see Robert Patterson and Beatrix at Bar Harbor this summer, and studying the Reef Point methods a little. She will leave April 8 for Boston for Arnold Arboretum work and a visit to her doctor, so he will know where to reach her. If all goes well she will meet Robert Patterson in Boston.
Dates
- Creation: April 4, 1947
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