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September 20, 1945 Miss Norma Berger 24 Clearway Street Suite 11 Boston 15, Massachusetts

Dear Miss Berger:

Your letter of September 19 inspires anew our feeling of friendship and appreciation of your uncle, Marsden Hartley.His death was a loss to the world of art and culture. and to the State of Maine, to which he was remarkably devoted.

The chief message of your letter is one for which we cannot adequately express our gratitude. You will notice from the last letter we received, November 14, 1941, that Mr. Hartley felt quite strongly that some of his paintings of Maine should be presented to the library. You doubtless have our reply to the suggestion. We were profoundly appreciative of the idea, of the motivating spirit, and of the privilege of having as permanent library possessions such beautiful testaments of Mr. Hartley's love for Maine, and his skill in portraying·that love.

The copies of the letters which you have requested are enclosed. Those of November 24, 1939; January 19, 1940; February 20, 1941; November 19, 1940; December 2, 1940; and October 19, 1941, are in his handwriting wholly; the others are signed by him, with postscripts and some inserted notes in his hand.

There seems promise of an addition to the State House, a new office building, or some manner of reconstruction that will permit us additional room within the next few years. We are hopeful of a special room for the Maine Author Collection and other Maine items, such as our maps and certain items of historical interest which have been presented to the library. It seems to us that this room would be a most suitable place for any of Mr. Hartley's paintings that might come to us.

He was very much interested in the Maine Author Collection, to which he generously presented his books. Before his death, we wrote about a book entitled THE SPANGLE OF EXISTENCE, which we have never seen; was it published? We are still trying to secure a copy of his early ADVENTURES IN THE ARTS for this special collection, so that we may have all his books.

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