Box E

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Handwritten letter from Cornelia Knox Kean to Mildred Bliss thanks her for sharing her gardens with many people. She comments that it was particularly beautiful this year. She thanks Mildred Bliss for the generous help she has given to the Georgetown Flower Show. William Gray's assistance will relieve the burden and make it "lovlier than it has ever been". She offers remembrances to her and Robert Woods Bliss from her and her husband, General Jefferson Randolph Kean.

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Handwritten letter from R.S. Thager thanks Dorothy Kingsford and Mildred Bliss for allowing her to visit the Dumbarton Oaks Garden and see the tulips. "There is no garden like it in the country!"

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Handwritten letter from Grace Porter Hopkins (Mrs. Randolph D. Hopkins) to Mildred Bliss asks permission to arrange for Jessie Tarbox Beals to photograph Dumbarton Oaks to include in a series of articles on historic homes in and around Washington, D.C.

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Exchange of letters (typescript and handwritten) over two years between Genevieve L. Porter, Women's Auxiliary of All Souls Memorial Church and Mildred Bliss and her secretary asks for the permission to visit the garden on behalf of the Women's Auxililary members. Mrs. Bliss's secretary responds that Mrs. Bliss is sorry, but she can not open her gardens to Porter's organization. Mrs. Bliss tries to find out more information and about Genevieve Porter prior to her responses.

Scope and Contents: Exchange of typescript letters from Franklin L. Fisher, Chief of Illustrations, National Geographic Magazine and Mildred Bliss and Robert Woods Bliss and Gilbert Grosvenor, President of National Geographic Magazine and Robert Woods Bliss. Fisher asks permission for Howell Walker to photograph blossoms in the garden. Robert Woods Bliss responds by telling Grosvenor that permission is never given to photograph the Dumbarton Oaks gardens for pubication even though Walker produced a letter....

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Handwritten note from Mildred Bliss's secretary on a telephone message from Mrs. Johnson asking if Mr. Sam Woods from the Legation in Prague could visit the Dumbarton Oaks garden. According to Mrs. Johnson, Ambasssador Robert Woods Bliss knows him.

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Handwritten thank you note from Pauline B. Woodruff, Director of Playgrounds for Montrose Park to Milidred Bliss about the donation of flowers for the May party.

Scope and Contents: Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Alberta S. Carpenter, secretary to Mildred Bliss offers her an satisfactory update on the health conditions of Annie and Mosser and their learning how to walk with crutches. Both are grateful for Mildred Bliss's generosity. John Thacher has returned to Dumbarton Oaks to prepare for the academic year. Sirarpie Der Nessessian and Professor Vasiliev arrive soon. A newspaper clipping on Dr. Kindler recommended by John Thacher was included with...

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Handwritten note of a telephone message received by Mildred Bliss's secretary and relayed to Mildred Bliss. Mrs. Cunningham from the Arlington College for Girls requested a specific day to visit the Dumbarton Oaks Gardens. Mildred Bliss likely added a comment at the end of the note suggesting they come another day.

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Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Ruth Havey to Mildred Bliss asks if she can borrow the book of small photographs that have been taken from time to time on the Tennis Court parterre. It has various dummies that have been tried. Mr. Matthews has the best stones available and Havey says she wants to keep him happy.

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Copy of typescript letter from Mildred Bliss's secretary on behalf of Mildred Bliss to Ruth Havey tells her Mildred Bliss would like the sketch of the parrot needle-work to be at Dumbarton Oaks when she returns from her travels.

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Typescript letter with handwritten signature from Alfred Frauendorfer, L'Art Ancien S.A. Zurich to Mildred Bliss offers her a book for purchase, Le Jardinier flueriste et historiographe ... by L. Liger.

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Typescript letter with signature from C. Waller Barrett to Robert Woods Bliss acknowledges receipt of material on loan for the Collector's Choice exhibition at the Grolier Club from April 27-June 1, 1954. The material will be returned by June 15.

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Handwritten letter from a an unknown correspondence from Harvard University, Department of Government to Robert and Mildred Bliss thanks them for the Dvornik book, "The Making of Central and Eastern Europe". He will put the book to immedite use in his seminar."Hopper" written in pencil at top of first leaf and refers to Bruce Hopper, professor of government at Harvard University. Written below letterhead, "3 Craigie Circle" which probably is his personal address.

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Typescript estimate from R. B. Phelps Stone Co. to Ruth Havey to cut, carve, and errect caps and consoles in the Dumbarton Oaks, North Vista for gate posts, North Court wall, and lyre of North End of Cedar Terrace. The cost is supplied in the estimate.

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Handwritten letter from Ellen Dunwoody Nester to Mildred Bliss asks permission to paint some of the Dumbarton Oaks garden areas.

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Requests sent to Dumbarton Oaks or Mildred or Robert Woods Bliss.

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Handwritten text for Western Union telegram from Mildred Bliss to Dorothy Miner inquiring about the location of Mrs. Christa Gaehde, manuscript conservator. She wants to know if Gaehde is still with the Walters Art Gallery or at Great Neck, Long Island. A typescript letter from Dorothy Miner to Mildred Bliss tells her about the excellent work done by Gaehde on conserving a particularly fragile manuscript at the Walters Gallery.

Scope and Contents: Handwritten letter from Frances Quincy Nichols Ervin (Mrs. Robert Gilpin Ervin) to Mildred Bliss suggests Mildred get in touch with Miss Victoria Adele Wilkinson, 2 Bywater Street, Chelsea SW 3 who is "very high up in the Royal Institute for the Blind". Ervin describes Wilkinson as a splendid person who migth have some good suggestions for Mildred's plan to build a garden for the blind at Dumbarton Oaks. Wilkinson is the granddaughter of Sir Eyre Crowe who was at the Foreign Office and her...

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Newspaper clipping published in the New York Herald Tribune, July 31, 1955 and titled, "New Garden for Blind Is Opened in Brooklyn". The article described a new fragrant garden at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.

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Handwritten letter from Marguerite H. Focillon to Robert and Mildred Bliss tells them about the exhibition organized by the city of Dijon, France at the Palais des Etats de Bourgogne for her husband Henri Focillon, art historian and his father, Victor Focillon, an engraver. She includes a newspaper clipping of the event.

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Sketch of panel measurements in the loggia. Note in Mildred Bliss' handwriting: "Cox - Artemis frescoes - Loggia for [?]? What in Loggia? D.O." Statement probably refers to painted murals on fabric panels done by Allyn Cox in the late 1920s.

Scope and Contents: Copy of typescript letter from from C.I. [C. Isabel] Denison, Keeper of the Founders' Room to Helen Clifford, President of the Georgetown Garden Club informs her Mrs. [Mildred] Bliss wishes to offer to the Georgetown Garden Club some books and pamphlets: Wood and garden, Gertrude Jekyll, 1901; Wildflower guide, N.W. & Midland U.S., Edgar T. Wherry, 1948; Fifty-five rare books from the botanical library of Mrs. R.A. Hunt, 1949; and Botanical books, prints & drawings from the...

Scope and Contents: Handwritten letter from G. Frederick Coles to Robert Woods Bliss enclosing photographs of the scale model as per Mr. [John W.] Davis' instructions. He fears the photographs are not very successful due to the lack of equipment for interior photography. The colors on the model do not record in black and white very well. Mr. Waterman is to have a photographer at Dumbarton Oaks very soon and perhaps can send you some satisfactory ones. He reports experiencing the first and welcome relief from...

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Typescript list of measurements of interior house paneling. Unknown creator with approximate creation date of 1940-1969.