From Nancy C. Russell, January 28, 1929, photos show a "decided difference" in "Father de Smedt", but what is most important is that Dr. Cole enjoys it.

[1] January 28, 1929. Mr. Philip G. Cole, 470 Vanderbilt Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y. Dear Philip: Your letter of Jan. 18th with the enclosed letter received and thanks much for the letter that you wrote the art dealer in New York. Also, I thank you for the photographs you sent me which show a decided difference. I am so glad that you are happy over the changes that were made. You are the one to enjoy the beauty and satisfaction of your pictures and if that picture now gives you the feeling of pleasure that it should, that is all there is to be considered. It would be a great pleasure to see your new home and how wonderful your collection of fine Western things must look. It is a joy to me to feel that “Father deSmidt”, Charlie’s last picture, has the spotlight in the Russell collection be- cause I feel that it is the keynote of your entire collection and I certainly will look forward to someday seeing your new beautiful home. The picture that I showed you the photograph of was sold to someone in Santa Barbara. I just had a letter from the woman in Seattle saying it had been sold. I asked her to whom and she told me the lady’s name in Santa Barbara but that she would not sell it. I have heard of three other Russell pictures and have asked them to send me photographs which I will send to you when they come if they look any good. I have not forgotten that you are interested in Russell things and I shall always keep you in mind if anything new comes to my attention. The pensketch[sic] that you bought from Mr. MacLennen is one of the twenty that went with that letter that Charlie wrote in 1889. I have written to the woman that owns the letter and am going to try to get the bunch of sketches and letter from her. If I can get them, I will then turn themover[sic] to you at what they cost to me. I hope ^this can be done because it would be lovely^ for you to have as old a letter as this one as Fate saw to it that you have the last letter that Charlie ever wrote. Don’t you think that is strange? [2] 2-- Dr. Cole- Percy Rabon[sic] was over here the other night and I asked him if he had any of Charlie’s things that he would be willing to dispose of and he said, “No.” I asked him to let you have the refusal of anything if he ever de- cided to let them go and he is perfectly willing that you should have the opportunity to refuse any of his things if they are to be sold. My bestest regards to you and to your entire family. Sincerely, NCR:ED

[Transcribed by Lauren B. Gerfen, 2012-06-07]