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Royall Tyler to Mildred Barnes Bliss, April 3, 1950

8 rue Quentin-Bauchart8 rue Quentin-Bauchart, an elegant seven-story apartment building built in 1926–1927.

Paris VIII

3 April 1950

Dearest Mildred—I’ve had a letter from Christabel Aberconway,Christabel Mary Melville Macnaghten, Lady Aberconway (1890–1974), wife of Henry Duncan McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway (1879–1953), a British politician, horticulturalist, and industrialist. brimming over with delight and gratitude to you, on return from her trip to the USA. She says that the high water mark was her visit to you in Washington, and she tells me many of the treats you arranged for her, starting with the afternoon when you yourself showed her D.O. and its contents. It was dear of you to take so much trouble.

But it makes me all the more anxious to know when I am going to see you. I ran into Mrs. Henry FieldProbably the wife of the anthropologist and archaeologist Henry Field (1902–1986), who was a research fellow at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University (1950–1969). some weeks ago, who said she believed you were coming over for the Casals festival.The Prades Festival was established by Pablo Casals (Pau Casals i Defilló, 1876–1973) in 1950 and was renamed the Pablo Casals Festival in 1982. I wrote you, asking Robert for confirmation—but none has come.

Do let me know, I beg. I’d like to plan, accordingly.

I have just returned from a brief trip to Belgium, in connexion with the Spanish Calendar—things I’ve been wanting to look up for Rip Van Winckle years. I took occasion to see those superb pictures at Brussels, the Polyptych of the Lamb at Ghent,The Ghent Altarpiece, a large early fifteenth-century Flemish polyptych painting of twelve panels, created by Jan and Hubert van Eyck and completed in 1432. It is housed in the Saint Bavo Cathedral, Ghent. the Van EycksJan van Eyck (or Johannes de Eyck) (before ca. 1395–1441), a Netherlandish painter active in Bruges. & MemblingsHans Memling (ca. 1430–1494), a German-born painter who worked in Flanders. at Bruges, and had a marvelous time with them. I hadn’t the heart to go to see the Stoclet heirsJacques Stoclet (1903–1961), the son of Adolphe Stoclet, and Jacques’s wife, Anne “Anny” Geerts Stoclet (1907–2002).—I will, some other time. I hear they’re not selling anything.

Bill & Betsy are off today with the bratsRoyall Tyler (b. 1936), and Matilda Eve Tyler (b. 1939), the children of Bettine Tyler and William Royall Tyler. for a little Easter holiday at a seaside place near Arcachon—but Bill has to return to the wheel on Easter day. They’re all very well. Lunched here yesterday. Elisina is pretty well, & sends you much love.

With fondest love to you both

Yrs

R. T.