George
de Forest Brush - painter (1855-1941). ALS,
2 pages, New York, April 9, 1916 to the autograph collector Charles Elmer
Rice. Brush sends a late apology for a
three-year old thank-you letter that never was mailed. Rice, who was an active
genealogist send Brush some letters by or about Brush’s grandfather. Rice was a prominent collector of historic
autographs and may have supplemented the collection with contemporary figures
like Brush. As an enthusiastic researcher, he probably commonly shared some of
his genealogical findings with prominent figures. An accompanying envelope in
Rice’s hand indicates they struck a friendly acquaintance while sailing from
Europe and that may have prompted Rice to do some research on Brush’s family.
58 W 57th
St. NY
April 9, 1916
Mr. Charles Elmer Rice
Dear
Sir: In 1913 you wrote me kindly
enclosing some old letters concerning my family history. I have just come acrost a letter which I
wrote you on board the Canopic in reply to yours, how it is that it was never
mailed I cannot say – it may be that I wrote another letter and intended to
destroy this one & am writing now however to acknowledge the letters about
Henry Brush and to say that they were very interesting to me and to thank you
for them.
With
regrets for this oversight. I remain
Yours very truly, George de Forest Brush