Letter from Beatrix Farrand, Valley Club of Montecito, Santa Barbara, California to John S. Thacher, Dumbarton Oaks, 3101 R Street, Washington, D.C., January 13, 1942 Digital
Scope and Contents
Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Beatrix Farrand to John Thacher recommends a prudent approach to new flower plantings given the uncertainty of the times. She quotes a portion of a letter from Paul J. Sachs from which she and Mildred Bliss got the impression that the Harvard University Board wishes Dumbarton Oaks to reduce outdoor work and plantings in the gardens. Beatrix Farrand hopes few changes will have to be made to the grounds and reinforces her opinion that the care and replacement of trees and shrubs are essential to the structure of the grounds and should not be neglected. Beatrix Farrand expresses concern that closing the greenhouses and moving flowers into the Orangery will interfere with Anne Sweeney's classes in botany. The flowers would have to be moved down to the lower house as soon as the Orangery was needed again. She tells him she has not discussed this again with Mildred Bliss as Mildred told John Thacher her opinion "fairly directly" in a telephone conversation. Beatrix Farrand ends the letter by reporting to John Thacher on the physical and mental well-being of Robert and Mildred Bliss.
Dates
- Creation: January 13, 1942
Creator
- Farrand, Beatrix, 1872-1959 (Correspondent, Person)
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
- Farrand, Beatrix, 1872-1959 (Correspondent, Person)
Subject
- Thacher, John, 1904-1982 (Recipient, Person)
- Bryce, James, 1887-1964 (Person)
- Sweeney, Anne, 1887-1954 (Person)
- Bliss, Mildred Barnes, 1879-1969 (Person)
- Bliss, Robert Woods, 1875-1962 (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