While Deering was frequently described as being all business, he was aware of the importance of games and sports in building camaraderie among his guests. His correspondence on the issue shows he put creative thought into multi-purposing the game room in the Main House (where the Vizcaya cafe is now) as well. Do you imagine James Deering joining in the fun?
Letter: March 25,1914
From: James Deering, Vizcaya’s Owner
To: Francis Burrall Hoffman Jr., Vizcaya’s Architect, New York
Reveal Transcript
Dear Mr. Hoffman:–
I acknowledge receipt of your night letter of the 25th in regard to the contract for building the Florida house. I do not quote it, as it is obvious that you are writing a letter which will explain the matters therein referred to more in detail. It is too bad if Mackle & Crawford have not had proper experience to justify employing them that they should have been put to the expense and trouble that they have incurred.
I telegraphed you this morning as follows:
“If shooting gallery could be installed connection with bowling alley would be amusing”
If this could be worked in without any particular trouble in connection with the bowling alley, as it seems to me it might, I believe more or less sport might be had out of it.
Yours sincerely,
(signed) James Deering
Mr. F.B. Hoffman, Jr.
15 East Fortieth Street
New York, N.Y.
Copy sent to Mr. Chalfin.
Letter: July 24th, 1916
From: James Deering, Vizcaya’s Owner
To: Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya’s Artistic Director
Reveal Transcript
July 24, 1916
Dear Mr. Chalfin:—
I reply to your favor of the 20th inst., I said to Reinken at once that we would not wait for imported materials, and I consented to his seeing what materials he could find in the city. If you are able to undertake to find stuffs in New York, you will certainly do much better and I shall be glad to have you do it.
I will, when I return to the house, look at the Ulmer runners and decide the matter.
The photographs from Samuels, to which you refer, have not yet arrived.
I am again surprised to know that you need more tapestries or anything else for the walls of the dining-room in Miami. I was not confident at all that the living room had been supplied, but felt very sure that the dining-room had been.
Please do not forget that if we can have but one table in the basement, it must be a pool table and not a billiard table. Everybody will try to play pool with you and but few are willing even to attempt billiards, including myself.
Yours sincerely, JD
Mr. Paul Chalfin
432 Fourth Avenue. New York, N.Y.
