“THE AMOUNT INVOLVED IN THIS MATTER IS, OR SEEMS TO BE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, VERY LARGE.”
Letter: July 26, 1916
From: [Assumed] James Deering, Vizcaya’s Owner
To: Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya’s Artistic Director
Reveal Transcript
Dear Mr. Chalfin:–
I have before me your letters of July 10th, 11th, 19th, and 30th.
Louis XV Chairs, Drawing-room, Chicago
We have agreed on the use of tapestries in the south end of the drawing-room in Chicago. Nevertheless, I have not sent you the two Louis XV chairs, as their retention in this room would perhaps occur or not occur if we took or did not take the proposed tapestry furniture.
Tapestry for Stair Well.
I like this tapestry pretty well. Perhaps it might be well to send it out for my inspection.
Two Tapestry Portieres for Drawing-room.
In your letter of the 11th you describe these, and say that you are sending them out. They have not arrived. In this letter you say that they cost $20,000.00. Are these the Aubusson tapestries by Huet, of which you have now sent photographs ? In your letter of the 20th you give the cost of the tapestries shown in the photograph as $40,000.00. I think the tapestries are pleasant. They also might be sent out. In this connection, though, why would not the two tapestries exhibiting Neptune and Jupiter, of which you sent me photographs, do for the drawing-room? You state their cost to be one-half of the other tapestries, but do not name the price. I am, therefore, uncertain in the matter, as stated above.
Four Wall Ornaments for Drawing -room.
I do not remember seeing one of these at French’s. You state that you have sent photographs, but none have come. Why not send one out for me to see?
Tapestry Furniture.
The amount involved in this matter is, or seems to be under the circumstances, very large. Nevertheless, I am still giving the matter consideration. As you say, I paid $59,500.00 for the Bernheimer set and as I have written you, I really do not think that I was financially cheated. If Samuels pays me $50,000.00 and can sell the set for what I paid for it, he makes $9,500.00 on the transaction, assuming that he means to say and that it is true that he would turn over to me his set exactly what he paid for it. I ask you when a decision on this matter could be made. At the present moment my drawing-room is all torn up and everything is
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“I HAVE MADE AN INVESTMENT HERE WHICH I SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE”
Letter: January 22, 1919
From: (Assumed) James Deering, Vizcaya’s Owner
To: Paul Chalfin, Vizcaya’s Artistic Director
Reveal Transcript
Paul Chalfin, Esq.,
597 Fifth Avenue,
New York.
Dear Mr. Chalfin:
I have given a good deal of thought, though I have written little, to the question of the land south of the Causeway and I have given a good deal of thought recently and for a considerable time past to the general question of the additional expense involved in putting this place into accordance with the plans that have been made for it. You are aware of my theory, which is certainly worth no more than any other man’s theory, that within the next two years we shall see labor and materials at the lowest point they are likely to reach for some years after this date of lowest costs.
In other words, within two years we ought to do what work we decide to do and as I before said, the proper thing, even if there is at this moment hesitation, is to prepare everything as early as possible, just as though we were going to work tomorrow. Your suggestion that we can reduce the cost south of the causeway is a good one and I have no doubt that is true. We want nothing shabby or indecent, but aside from this principle everything should be made as cheap as it can be made. I have no need to tell you that the investment here is now tremendous and though I do not speak of my private affairs, yet I have done so sufficiently to you to justify my saying again that I have made an investment here which I should not have made, in view of my fortune and in view of the taxes which are now being levied and are likely to be levied for some time, if not indefinitely, In other words, it is my bounden duty to see that this investment should not be increased by any sum that is not absolutely necessary,
I suggest not only that you go to work at once to restudy all the lake problems with this object in view, but that you restudy the problems of the finishing of the Gardens at Vizcaya if by so doing you can reduce the cost involved. You will have ideas, perhaps, in this connection that do not occur to me. You have spoken of the rose garden as one thing that might be reduced in cost. Without looking the matter up I do not see how this could be done, in view of the fact that about all of the work has been done at this point except the addition of the stone copings and the erection of the fountain. You will know better, however, in this matter, and as to the Gardens of Vizcaya in general, than I would do.
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