Letter from Charles S. Carstairs to Henry Clay Frick, 28 November 1913

OFFICE OF H. C. FRICK
RECEIVED
DEC 13 1913
FORWARDED
REFERRED
ANSWERED
NEW YORK,
556 & 558, FIFTH AVENUE.
17 PLACE VENDOME.
CABLE ADDRESSES
KNOEDLER, LONDON.
KNOEDLER, NEW YORK.
KNOEDLER, PARIS.
TELEPHONE 2514 MAYFAIR.
15, OLD BOND STREET,
LONDON, W.
Per S. S. Caronia,

28th November 1913.
H. C. Frick, Esq.,
Pride's Crossing,
MASS.
Dear Mr. Frick,
Thank you for your letters of the 28th and 31st October. Haseltine will appreciate very greatly any interest you take in him. Mr. C. T. Taylor has not as yet appeared and I have not taken any steps to see him. Possibly he will turn up later.
I have been steadily working in a certain direction for the Radnor pictures, but he will have nothing to say. I fear he is too rich to be tempted. It seems he owns half of Folkestone and is one of the rich men of England. I had the pleasure of sitting next to his sister at dinner a short time ago and talked with her about him and his pictures, and I anticipate before long going down there, through her, and meeting him and finding out definitely if anything can be accomplished. But, for the reasons stated above, I fear there is no opportunity, except possibly at some ridiculous price.
I spent the day at Panshanger a short time ago with Howard selecting pictures for the National Loan Exhibition, which opened Wednesday last at the Grosvenor Gallery. They were kind
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enough to loan eleven pictures, including their remaining Raphael. An artist was there at the time copying the Raphael bought by Duveen's - a very beautiful little picture and possibly one that you would do well to consider, although a very extravagant price, owing to the great prestige which has always attached itself to the works of this master. It is in good condition and in every way desirable, if not too dear. I send you the illustration from the "Daily Telegraph" of Thursday, also the newspaper cutting concerning it, and the criticisms concerning the exhibition. The most interesting of these if Claude Phillips', which is only, as he says, a preliminary survey of the exhibition. Had Altman lived, he would have undoubtedly have acquired this picture. Whether there is anyone in the market likely to buy it but yourself is a question for you to determine. My own feeling in the matter is that by assuming indifference you may be able to do better.
I am off to Paris to-day for the Aynard Collection, and expect to go to Turin on Tuesday to see my mother, who is with the Montus. I do not anticipate sailing until after Christmas.
I hope the turn of the year will bring us better business conditions. As a matter of fact, things seem to be better here than in the States, and we have sold a number of valuable pictures in Berlin, Amsterdam, Paris, etc.
I was delighted to learn from Roland that you finally purchased the Greco - it will be a great note in your gallery; it
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is a really wonderful picture.
I suppose Roland has told you we are hoping to have a Gainsborough and Turner exhibition, and I trust you will let us have your two pictures by Gainsborough for this, and your early Turner, which has never been exhibited.
I understand everything is going on very rapidly at White Allom's in connection with your house. I was glad to hear of its advancement.
Looking forward to seeing you,
Sincerely,
C. S. Carstairs
My best to our mutual friends
Encs.
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