Typed letter from Nancy C. Russell to Judge James W. Bollinger dated 16 May 1931; requests for the legal advice on her rights as Charles M. Russell's widow in preventing an unworthy statue from going into the Hall of Fame.

Pasadena, California. May 16, 1931. Judge James W. Bollinger, Putnam Building, Davenport, Iowa. Dear Judge: Will you please give me some advice? If no other way shows up, have I the right as Charlie’s widow, to prevent that unworthy statue going into the niche in the Hall of Fame? So far the protests that have gone from me and Charlie’s friends outside of the State of Montana, to the Governor seem to have had no effect except to make the Committee more determined than ever to use the unhappy figure it has chosen. I have been told in a roundabout way to shut up, that the people of Montana who knew Charlie best are perfectly satisfied with their choice. Judge, I can’t shut up. If I do nobody will portest [sic] and there must be some of Charlie’s friends who think as I do and would like to see a fine thing done of him. Jim Robbins has not answered any of my letters. I don’t know what he thinks and he has more influence than any other man I know in the State. The Governor is running for office again and, naturally, wants to please the greatest number of voters. If the trouble I feel about the model is carried to court and the hearing is in Montana, I am beaten before I start- not a very bright outlook for the memory and honor of Charlie is it? I have no desire to say who shall make the model Charlie but I believe I have the right to say who shall not and, from what I have seen of the one that has been selected, it WONT DO. Today, word came to me that the Governor has been to Great Falls and told Mrs. Lincoln to go right ahead with her model and she is planning to go East as soon as possible to get what she says “finest material” (what- ever that means). I am sorry for her because she has Judge James W. Bollinger -2- done her best. She feels inspiration from above has guided her hands and she has convinced most of the members on the Commission that her work is fine and a perfect likeness. If it is all they say it is, why don’t they send a photograph to me or make it possible for me to see the original? Why keep everything a secret and a mystery? All I have gotten has been from cuts and newspaper reports. Then they say I shouldn’t judge a cheap newspaper cut. What else have I to judge from? Judge, my life with Charlie has taught me something about sculptors and the art of modeling. Nobody ever could submit a model “with the hat on or with it off, whichever you prefer, and the proportions not correct nor all the details finished as they will be in the large model”. All these “ifs”, “and” and “buts” went with the model when it was submitted – meaning they gave the Commission on promise so nobody knows what the finished article would look like. This I do know. If the detail is not correct on the small model, it will never scale up. Sculptors say it is easy to get proportion in small things and every de- tail must be perfect of the enlargement to life size will lose the likeness. Can’t you see the grotesque- ness of the model we have seen the cuts of? Oh, it just must not be! But what can we do? It isn’t fair to Charlie’s memory – that weak piece of work. He earned the right to be memorialized by a strong, happy artistic likeness. I am enclosing a copy of telegram which is not for publication but just for you to know how hot some of the protests have been which have come to me. I know a copy of this was sent to the Governor by Mr. Hart. There have been many protests but to no avail. I must know what my rights are as Charlie’s widow and I don’t know whom to trust for the right kind of advice. You knew Charlie and are as interested as any of his friends and also know the law. Please let me hear from you by air mail as I am delaying a letter to the Gover- nor until I do hear what right I have to protest further. Sincerely yours, Encl.

[Transcribed by Lauren B. Gerfen, 2012-11-29]