Skip to Content
 

Royall Tyler to Robert Woods Bliss, September 18, 1934

Finance Ministry

Budapest

18.IX.34

Dear Robert.

I have your letter of the 6th.

No, I certainly didn’t carry off your catalogue of the Byz. Exhibition 1931. I had very few books with me, & as I do my own packing, it couldn’t possibly have excaped my notice.

I have an uneasy feeling that I may already have asked your help in the following matter: if I have, forgive me; if I haven’t, all the better: I have heard, both from Belle da C.Belle da Costa Greene (1883–1950), the librarian to J. P. Morgan and, after his death in 1913, to his son Jack Morgan and the Morgan Library in New York. & from John Garrett,John Work Garrett (1872–1942), an American diplomat who had inherited important collections and who left his library of 40,000 volumes (including 7,800 rare books) to his estate, Evergreen, and his collections of maps, Asian ceramics, and coins (including Byzantine coins) to the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. that there is, in the Walters Coll. at Baltimore, one magnificent painted Byz. Book.The “Imperial” Menologion (W.521), Walters Art Museum, an eleventh-century illuminated collection of saints lives for the month on January that Henry Walters acquired in 1930. See Georgi R. Parpulov, “A Catalogue of the Greek Manuscripts at the Walters Art Museum,” The Journal of the Walters Art Museum 62 (2004): 83–88. Selections of the manuscript are available as a digital facsimile. Would it be possible for you to have it photographed—all the painted pages, I mean, and to send the photos. to Hayford Peirce, 214 Cedar St., Bangor, Me.? He is now at work on the painted MSS of the Xe & following centuries, and this new-comer might be of really great value & importance. We would both be very grateful if you could help us here, but don’t if for any reason it’s difficult.

There’s a splendid review of our Vol. IIL’art byzantin. in the London Times Lit. Sup. of 6 Sept.Alan Francis Clutton-Brock, “L’Art Byzantin. Par Hayford Peirce et Royall Tyler. Tome II. (Paris: Librairie de France.),” The Times Literary Supplement, September 6, 1934. I was rather trembling, and am much pleased. Do get it and read it.

Bill & his Betsy were much looking forward to going to you. Perhaps they may be there even now.

Love to you both—

Yrs

R. T.

 
Associated Places: Budapest (Hungary)
Associated Things: L'art byzantin