PHOTOGRAPHY

TELEGRAMS.
Cyclist, London.
Photography, Coventry.

TELEPHONE,

Editorial, 1201, Holborn.

Publishing, 1731, Holborn.

Works. 10, Coventry.

3, St. Brude St.
London, E.C.1

September 23rd 1903.

Eduard Steichen Esq.,

291 Fifth Avenue,

New York, U.S.A.

Dear Steichen,

I was very sorry indeed to learn that you had the prospect of an operation before you, and only hope that you will come through it satisfactorily, and will soon be your own self again.

As regards the nudes, our idea is to make the book one about uniform in size with the page of "Photography", but with a square back, and of course, very much thicker. There will be, as far as I can make out, about 24 to 30 pages of letter press, which will be printed somewhat in the style, if it is not too presumptuous to say so, of "Camera Work". In addition to this, there will be some 30 or 40 reproductions in various sizes of nude studies; a few full pages by the Frenchman, but most of the others will be small in size.

The letter press will be by the critic who usually does the Photographic Salon, and who tells me that his feelings as regards your work is that we should not proceed with the idea unless we are able to include some of the finest work in this category which has ever been produced. We should certainly give your work exceptional prominence, and it was for that reason that I wished you,

if you would, to get the blocks made for full page illustrations.

As regards the years photographs," I can only say that I hope
this work will be as good as that was bad. You cannot be more con-
scious than I am of the shortcomings of that publication. I am
very glad you mentioned the omission of any reference of your work
in my American notes, but it is easily explained. I had commissioned
or requested Keiley to do me a series of articles on the leading
American pictorial photographers specifying expressly Steiglitz',
Mrs. Kasebier, and yourself. This I believe he still hoped to
do for me but one thing and another has interfered. In my own notes
I dealt with Steiglitz not as a picture maker at all, but rather
from the peculiar position he plays in picture making work as an
apostle. Mrs. Kasebier's note was introduced when I found that
there was no hope of getting our articles from Keiley for a long
while, and in consequence I got hold of a letter which I wrote then,
half an hour after leaving Mrs. Kasebier's studio, and without
hardly any touching up at all, it made the article I printed. As
this was originally a private letter and I had no such record of my
visit to you I felt that I could not in justice to you publish
anything of the sort. I am sure you will acquit me of drawing any
distinctions between you.

I can only assure you that as far as my own personal opinion
goes, and as far as the opinion of "Photography" goes, a reference

3

PHOTOGRAPHY

TELEGRAMS,
Cyclist, London.
Photography, Coventry.
TELEPHONE,

Editorial, 1201, Halborn.
Publishing, 1731, Halborn.
Works, 10, Coventry.

3 St Bride St
London, E.C.

(2).

to American Pictorial photographers which included Mrs Kasebier and excluded you would be as absurd and as incomplete as one which included you and excluded Mrs Kasebier, and this I think would be your own view also.

I have bothered you with rather a long letter, but I was so glad that you were quite open in writing me, and I therefore feel, that I can talk to you in the same way.

I am very pleased to see that you are not exhibiting at the Salon this year, and was very glad also to note that Mrs Kasebier's exhibits arrived too late. I am anything but an out and out supporter of the R.P.S., but the action taken by the majority of the Linked Ring by which a minority have loyally abided, although not approving, has disgusted a good many of the Salon supporters, and is, I think, responsible for the poverty of this year's show. So long as two exhibitions go their own way, each striving to get as good a show as they can, each will have the support of most right thinking people, but when, as in this case, the Linked Ring is used to try and damage the exhibition of the R.P.S., one cannot help feeling pleased that those whose work that is appreciated highest, is conspicuous by its absence from the Linked Ring show.