CONTACT EDITIONS

29, Quai d'Anjou - PARIS

THE MAKING OF
AMERICANS

Being the History of a Family's Progress

By

GERTRUDE STEIN

This great work, whose publication has been impatiently
awaited, will appear in the Autumn of 1925. Contrary to our
original announcement, it will be printed in ONE quarto volume
of about 1000 pages. The edition, subscriptions for which are
now being taken, will be limited to 305 copies, as follows :

300 on simili-Japan, thin but opaque and durable.

Prices. In paper covers: America § 8; England 33 s.; France 150 fr.
In half leather: America § 10; England 2 gns.; France 190 fr.

5 on Imperial Japan, autographed by the author, bound in full
vellum.

Prices. — America § 60; England 12 gns.; France 1100 fr.

(In view of fluctuating exchange, these prices cannot be
indefinitely guaranteed.)

(over)

GERTRUDE STEIN

(some extracts from critiques)

CARL VAN VECHTEN in the New York Tribune. — Gertrude Stein is not only the founder of the modern movement in English literature; she is also at the present time far ahead of her boldest followers. Melanctha... one of the finest stories in the English language.

EDMUND WILSON in Vanity Fair. — We figure her as the great pyramidal Buddha... ruminating eternally on the ebb and flood of life, registering impressions like some august seismograph.

SHERWOOD ANDERSON in The New Republic. — As an American writer I admire her because she... represents something sweet and healthy in our American life, and because I have an undying faith that what she is up to in her word-kitchen in Paris is of more importance to writers of English than the work of many of our more easily understood and more widely accepted artists.

EDITH SITWELL in Vogue. — Miss Stein is among the most important writers of her time. Gertrude Stein's style is strange, wild, fly-away. Her words are like singing birds flying down upon a branch for a moment. Miss Stein has given us the unknown — new life struggling into being from dead stones.

SUBSCRIPTION

Contact Editions, 29, Quai d'Anjou, Paris :

Please enter my subscription for one copy of Gertrude Stein's "The Making of Americans", as indicated :

... Simili Japan, paper covers (America § 8; England 33 s.; France 150 fr.)

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(over)

THROUGH the efforts of the friends of Miss Mildred Aldrich during the last four months, the ten thousand dollar fund for the purchase and maintenance of the property on the Marne known as the "Hill Top" has received such support in America as to warrant strong hopes that the whole sum asked for will be subscribed. Fifteen hundred dollars of this fund, which is now in hand, will be required for the purchase of the property, and the revenue from about eight thousand five hundred dollars will be necessary for the maintenance.

The American Ambassador to France, The President of the American Library of Paris and Walter B. Hardy, will, as Trustees, administer the property until such time as both it and the maintenance fund which is being collected will be transferred to the American Library in Paris.

The "Hill Top" will be the quiet home of Miss Aldrich for the remainder of her life, and it is primarily for this object that the fund is being

raised; but it is also designed to perpetuate the record of her courage during the Battle of the Marne and her stout-hearted aid to French and English soldiers who were engaged in that struggle, and later in the War to the Allied and American soldiers. In "The Hill Top on the Marne", and three subsequent books, can be read the chronicle of these stirring events.

When in the course of time the American Library will take over the management of the property, the "Hill Top," with its magnificent view over the battle field, its charming garden and quaint interior, will draw many a visitor who may wish to pass there all or part of a quiet day.

Donations can be made payable to Morgan Harjes & Co., Paris, and sent to them for deposit to "The Hill Top on the Marne Fund".

Postcards.

From Paris to Fontaineblau. 22.12.13.

Hello. How are you all. It's very cold here. I guess it isn't any warmer in Fontaineblau. Do give us news of you all.

From Mallorca to Painswick, Gles. 11.4.15.

My dear Harry. Here we are very content and peaceful in Palma. Its beautiful here and warm which is a blessing. How are you getting on. We had a lovely time in Barcelona with some journalist friends of Picasso. They are all pro-ally so we didn't quarrel. Everybody is except clericals. Our address is Hotel Victoria, Torreno, Palma de Mallorca, Isles Hellais.

From Spain to rue Boissonade, Paris. July 1915 ?

My dear friends, A little leaf, two little leaves from the garden of George Sand and Chopin and when we get to Granada I'll send a letter telling all our adventures.

Always yours, Gertrude Stein.

Photograph of Gertrude with sliver, June 1916.

Sur la route de Kandou (Gard).

Rechofort-en-terre

From Paris to Rechofort-en-terre. 15.8.20

My dear Harry, We will be seeing you soon, I hope. We are going to stay a few days with friends about 50 kilometres from you. This will probably be in about 2 days. I have heard nothing about the Autumn Salon yet, but on general

- 2 -

principles I say go to it. Also I have seen K I
think I told you. Has he some of your pictures? and that's
jolly about Sybil and your rent. Something will be found.
Three
John Lane brings out NEW LIVES in September. That's all
he will say yet. More when we meet. Love Marjorie.

From Paris to Exmoor. 21.0.22

How is it we don't hear from you. Didn't you get the
letter I wrote you.

From Charelles to Exmoor. 13.6.22.

My dear friends, Here we are wandering around in little
places and sending you our love.

From Montresor to London. XXXIX 1926.

Here is just the kind of landscape you like. It can make
me almost want to fish. We did have a good time in London
and it was good seeing you again. We're not seen the
Hardys. Life was a little strenuous after we got back
and we are taking it quietly now. Address 27 r. de F

From Belley (Bilignin) to La Rochelle. 16.5.31.

We are all in the country and liking it and I am glad you
chose the comfortable rather than the picturesque, on the
whole I think perhaps comfort would be more conducive to
work, and do tell us about yourselves and that everything
is well with you, anyway the weather is lovely. Lots of love.

From Paris (P.O. Duclair) to Knaep. 22.12.23

Back in Paris and how are you? Merry Christmas and good
wishes.

Bouche du Rhone to Knaep. 11.10.23.

My dear friends, Awfully glad to have your letter, will be
writing soon. We are still in Provence and still staying.
It is rather heavenly here. Heaven has its advantages.

From Paris to Bramley (P.O. photograph of Gertrude) 1933
or 1934

It was nice hearing from you again and hearing you are so
pleased. I am quite pleased too and I am hoping what I
yet
said about you may/de good. It is all true and that we
know. Lots of love. (Referring to Autobiography of A.B.T.)

- 4 -

From Paris to Chelmsford, 17.11.19

My dear Harry, I do hope you have not become completely dispirited with me for not writing to you for so long but we have been awfully busy in Alceste and I know I would have lots of time once we were demobilised that I hoped you would forgive it. Here we are at last peace upon us and nothing particular to do. In between in Alceste I did a rather amusing play of the country which I hope to show you some time. But if you are in London just now you may be enjoying it for amounting everyone else is there Alceste, Brague, derain, all of them doing decor for the Russian ballet. Have you heard or seen anything of it. Do write and tell me about yourself and your plans. Have you seen Horbin's (?) last things and Grid. These are quite interesting. Do write and tell me about yourself and your plans. We haven't any just now but may have any day.

always sincerely yours.

From Paris to Amsterdam, 23.12.21.

My dear Harry, Don't think I have completely forgotten you, far from it, you are quite a household word, but first I was laid up more or less for a month and then there have been a variety of excitements. In the first place I know you will be pleased and I always feel that I owe it to you more than anyone else because you have always kept at it, my book is to be published. It is about decided and I

- 5 -

expect to be signing the contract soon. It is being done
by a Boston house who seem genuinely interested. I know
you will be pleased with that. Also Broom (?) is bringing
out something and the Little Review probably, things seem
to be stirring my way a little bit. I suppose some day I
will be the acknowledged grandmother of the modern move-
ment. We did not see the Autumn (salon) at all, as it was
very cold and we thought better not. The independant will
be very early this year and probably very cold too but I'll
go and I'll send you a catalogue. Are you sending your
things. If there is anything I can do let me know. Van
Dongen is having a show at Bernheims of Venetian moonlight
scenes. He does do rather an interesting thing with
moonlight and the Salute and gondolas. It is moonlight
and bright moonlight and rather lovely. Otherwise there's
no news. A good many people come and go and the weather
has been fairly pleasant. And how is the cottage and all
and how are you and what are you doing. Best wishes for
the New Year to you and Marjorie, may you live long and
prosper.

Nice to see you. 5.11.23

(enclosing article from Vanity Fair by Edmund Wilson)

My dear Harry, I am glad that the pictures were rescued
alright. Sybil's bark is always worse than her bite, which
is always bad because it makes so much worry, but all's well
that ends well. We are staying on here, we are comfortable

6-

and quiet and I am working nicely. I find these days it
is better to take our time off in the autumn because it is
more or less necessary to be in Paris in the spring to see
the passing editors, that sounds funny from me we never
thought the passing editors would want me but you always had
faith. I am including a clipping from Vanity Fair may
interest you, there are a good number of them but this is
perhaps the best. You didn't tell me anything about Jessie
and the Whiteheads, didn't she come, do tell us your news,
always best to you both from us.

## From Paris to Amsterdam. Spring 1924

My dear Harry, Glad to get your letter, we went over to
see Arthur and he says it is difficult but he may rent it,
in the meantime we mention it generally, if it were for
the year it would be comparatively easy, but the summer
promises to be awfully hot and everybody is leaving town.
We stay here until I get my proofs back, they have been
corrected once, quite a sizable book is Geography and
Plays, 415 pages. I am quite excited about it, I am glad
you liked the Three Husbands, they do look better in print
than in typewriting that's a fact, I have just done one that
I am very pleased with, the lives of a hundred prominent
men, it's really extremely nice so I think. Man Ray has
just taken some pictures of the room and us in it, we will
send you one shortly and tell Marjorie not to worry, Alice
is no worse, she has not written for very much the

-7-

Some reason as Marjorie, by the time she does the family housekeeping, knitting, typewriting and proof correcting she doesn't even get a letter written to her father so you tell Marjorie not to worry. Golly its hot. I like it but it is hot. We may go to Belgium this summer and settle down somewhere. At any rate at present it is Paris until the proofs come. Love to you both and be well and happy.

From Belley to Brussels: 18.8.24.

It isn't lack of thinking of you that has kept me from writing to you but a very hectic spring in Paris, it does seem to me it is getting worse one half is relatives and the other half young admirers I am free to confess that I prefer the admirers. Is it a sign of advancing age that the young should be good to me but they certainly are. one
Hemingway, and the editor of the Little Review, Jane Heap, they both work harder to get me published than they do for themselves and I guess they will succeed it always seems a little nearer - it goes back a good deal but always a little nearer to something happening at last the intervals between something that might happen but doesn't are always shorter. Jane Heap is a very interesting person, but the young are interesting and very nice, otherwise there is no news, we saw quite a bit of the Hardys, she was helping us about an annuity for a friend through a third person and then she brought me some not uninteresting stuff written a la me, done by a seventeen year old cousin and now I want her

8

address, I found after I saw her the last time that I
didn't have it. Will you let me know right away what it is
so that she won't think me too careless in not returning
the ms. to her. She and Hardy are a little older but they
don't change and they still love you just as we all do.
Sybil Harris I never even see accidentally any more. I
never hear anyone speak of her. The last time I saw her
at Mardiarts (?) the print man I thought her looking wretched.
I guess Will's departure was an awful blow. Do write and
tell us about yourself, we left Paris intending to go to
Nice but we found this nice little hotel where we are very
comfortable and where I almost think of going fishing, it
looks as if anybody can catch good fish, but Alice says
watch the others, it will keep me interested longer and I
don't doubt but that she is right and so I stick to my
lightimate occupation of chauffeur. I am not writing at
present. I did an awful (lot)? last winter, mostly birth and
marriage and kindred topics and ? Lots of love to
you and Marjorie.

From Beller to Exager. 30.5.25.

(enclosing Hill Top on the Marne pamphlet)

My dear Harry, Don't think because I have not written to
you I have not often thought of you and talked of you, there
are few people in the world of whom I think as often or with
as much interest as I do of you. We have been seeing a good
deal of the Hardys on account of Mildred Aldrich and her

g 9 -

troubles, you remember her, well she has been up against (it)?
and we have been doing a little rescue work and when it got
started I handed it over to Hardy to put in shape which he
is beautifully doing as per the enclosed, incidentally we
saw them both frequently they were always very pleasant and
we as usual talked a good deal about you. I saw your pictures
at their place for the first time and they look damn well,
particularly that
of tree and the early great big Spanish one. They held
alright and what is happening to you as for me things are
moving my way, I sent you the prospectus of my long book,
Making of Americans it will be out in the fall and we are
here as present correcting proofs and working hard in what I
call the ordinary way. I don't mind it in the country. I
didn't think much of it in Paris. It's a pretty good book
alright and it will make a bit of a splash I am thinking.
I am working a lot besides one on Natural Phenomena which
rather pleases me. The young admire and the germans are
thinking of translating and so fame comes, the Japanese
also read me. Alice does not believe either in the young
the germans or the Japanese but they are all pretty good
signs of the Times anyway. We do often think of you both
and I like your sympathy and appreciation better than any-
bodys. Always did as you know, lots of love.

From Dilly to Hennig, 7 June or July 1925

My dear Harry, I can't tell you what pleasure it gave us
both to unpaint the mysterious package and since your
picture came out we have had it standing up first one side
and then the other side and we are very pleased but par-
ticularly and will you mind my saying so with the landscape,
you know into that landscape you have gotten a mastery and
a classical something that holds and holds, oh hell I suppose
you have done lots of them as good and this is good good
and better. It seems nothing it is just a landscape and
yet they are going to be passionately collected because
they are something. They is no other painter today who
can do landscape with anything like that absoluteness. And
why people won't well, I don't know, there are certain
people that people refuse, whether its because their work
does not look as if it were something it isn't or what I
don't know, but there one is. I think its that, you see
it was true of Gesamme its true of Juan Gris its true of me,
its true of you, and those four people are certainly difficult
enough and yet until they become a classic they are persist-
ently refused. In some mysterious way they create resis-
tance they are persistently not forgotten and they are as
persistently refused and my poor Harry and that is no comfort
none at all and they don't see why. I can't believe that
some time the tide won't turn. It must. In the meantime
thanks over and over again for the picture. There is an
immense advance in your precision (? of your work, and well

• 11 •

to mark back again to the landscape I have been seeing a
lot of landscape and that betters it. You have mastered
it. Your painting generally seems to me very much easier and
surer than it was. I like the composition and parts of it
are very fine but it is not as much a whole as the other,
and the other is more than a whole it is a created some-
thing. Anyway all our love and as I say sadly I am sure
you have done lots of them as good. We never hear anything
from the Whiteheads. Don't you ever hear or see anything of
Jessie even, They are a faithless lot, but then they
always were in their way. I am sending you this thing
about the long dead you know the one I did twenty years
ago. We are busy with the proofs. It is kind of nice I'll
send you a copy when it's out lots of love to you both and
always any hope there is and always from Alice and me
thanks and love.

From Paris to Chelsea, 4.01.85

My dear Harry, I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to me
that you are the first person to write to me about my book.
You are the person I would rather have heard from than
anybody else but you know that. It is not today or yester-
day that I can tell you what your belief in me has meant
all these years,I am awfully pleased that you are in
London. I'll let you know how the book goes, of course
there are only 500 copies and 5 of them de luxe, these have

- 18 -

gone already it would appear but collectors always collect,
but it does make me awfully happy to have it printed. Do
you remember Harry an old servant Holme that we had all
those years before the war well I, had not seen her for some
time really not since the beginning of the war and we met
and stepped and talked and she wanted to know all about
everybody and she said you see I know they are all famous
now monsieur Matisse and Monsieur Picasso and some Monsieur
Brague and I read about them in the newspapers she said
and I said to my friends I know them all at Mlle Stein's
when they were nothing and she remembered Rousseau she said
whose pictures they are putting into the Louvre a little
man with a barbary who was so timid that he was afraid to
knock at the door. We were having a servant interregnum
just then and she said you let me come back and take care
of you but I said to her but I thought you were rich now
yes she said I am but I get bored as my husband is away all
day so she did she was with us for three weeks and perfectly
delightful kept us laughing all the time with her remarks
about the greatness of everybody. We see the Hardys from
time to time as he has charge of Miss Mildred Aldrich's
memorial which is doing nicely in other words she is being
kept alive and he has as usual been most kind. Otherwise
nothing. I am writing a lot, doing the Pseuonena of Nature
and a novel and a few other things and always always yours
Gertrude.

- 13 -

Paris to Chelsea. About October 1925 (Before letter of 4664)
Here are some of the announcements, if you want more there are
more, this and Geography and Plays, Four Seasons Co., Boston,
are the only things at present in print. Oh so many
thanks for everything but don't get yourself into any
trouble over me and the best and best of luck to your show.
Love to you both.

Paris to Chelsea. 25.1.26.

My dear Harry, Glory be you never can tell what is going
to happen to any of us now can you. Hardy has been keeping
us up to date on you and you on us so you know that
Cambridge has asked me to address them and after many
hesitations I am going to in the month of May. I am going
to read about 20 minutes of short things, chronologically
arranged and then talk for half an hour. I have got it
all written out and I guess its pretty good, anyway I am
trying to be courageous although naturally scared and so
we will be seeing each other and that will be most awfully nice
Good luck and good luck to you and lots of love to you both.

Paris to Chelsea. 1.5.26.

My dear Harry, We are coming over the end of the month and
are looking forward to seeing you and Marjorie. I am
lecturing at Cambridge the third and Oxford the seventh, you
see they asked me of course through the influence of Mrith
bitwell who has been doing steady propaganda for my
recognition in England for the last two years so don't

- 14 -

think for a moment that she does not completely recognize
my primary importance in literature of the day, of course I
do know that I am the best of it and I must say that no one
has been more continuously and persistently certain of it
than she among litterateurs. About lecturing in London
there is a possibility in connection with the University of
London and Miss Sittwell is giving a party on my arrival
to meet the literary people. Of course the thing naturally
that I am keen on is finding a permanent publisher in
London who will bring out my things unpublished past and
present that is my great hope.

I have pretty well gotten together what I am going to
call and I think it's alright and I will finish with reading
a few short unpublished things to illustrate different
periods and I am as yet not nervous about it because I am
keeping it out of my head now it is all written and I hope
in England there will be so many other things to think about
that I will continue to be calm. Alice has not quite as
much confidence in my calm, anyway. Lots of love to you both.

From Hotel Belgravia to Chelsea Manor Studios. 31.5.26.

My dear Harry, Here we are as the great army remarked to the
tomb of Lafayette and we want to see you and Marjory, today
being Monday may we come to see you at two o'clock tomorrow
being Tuesday. Lots of love to you both.

- 15 -

From: Chelsea. 6.10.26.

My dear Harry, I am very glad that you are going to have
some money with which to be easy for a bit but I must
advise strongly against your using it in coming to France.
You forget that the last time you were here you did not get
anything out of it and you did not like it. This time
you would be even less in touch with it and you would like
it even less and it would be a complete waste and leave
my
you worse than before. To/mind you should use the money for
the English country you know and like and work there pot-
boilers and all. You want to get that pot-boiler idea out
of your head, it is a wrong one, anything you do is you and
as you know I think you do better when you do it easily
and naturally which are what you call pot-boilers rather
than otherwise. We are still away from Paris. I have been
working on something I call acquaintance with Description,
Description interests me. Otherwise nothing at all nothing
has been happening. Best to you both.

From: Paris (?) to Chelsea. November or December 1926?

My dear Harry, I am glad to hear from you you know that, you
don't suppose, that I can forget that for all these years
when nobody paid any attention and the few that did did not
believe in me, don't ever think that I can ever stop
appreciating you then and now. I do wish and hope that
something will come of the ceramic show of yours, it is
the devil, even after all the positioning that has been given

- 16 -

to me the editors and publishers will not touch me, they
nibble and nibble but they are still profoundly cautious, add
if they get as far as preparing a contract they don't carry
it out. However this is only to tell you that I do under-
stand all the difficulties. The young chap here in Paris
who have for the last years been living in clover are begin-
ning to feel the effects of his return to old conditions. I
am hoping that that will bring with it the legitimate reward
to those like you who have served a long time. I saw the
Hardys on Thanksgiving Day, they were at Gelsomino to meet
Mildred Aldrich, they seemed very much the same as ever, if
they had any extra cause for worry they did not show it.
Mrs. Hardy is immersed in her grandchild these days a very
sweet and a charming little girl and they seem quite happy
with their daughter and son-in-law, he seems very occupied
partly I imagine philanthropy and partly business, but it
is very difficult to tell anything about him as he is always
abrupt, cheerful and helpful. They particularly one has
mellowed with over the years and is less sharp and difficult then
she was and still as entertaining and amusing. They are
about our only link with the past everybody else in Paris has
changed or one does not see them or something. Miss Mars
and Miss Squires turned up after some years for a few days.
They are very much the same except for the difference in
years. Yvonne Davidson has been very ill, there are the
new things and the old things. I am working very hard now
I have a new conception of prose which interests me pre-

-17-

foundly it is very longwinded but then one has to be long-
winded to commence. I am getting rid of sight and sound as
well as sense, you and I always did love the essence and
we still like it. Love to you both.

## From Paris to Chelsea, Autumn 1928

My dear Harry, I am awfully pleased that you are having your
show and I do wish you all the good luck possible, heaven
knows nobody deserves it more than you do, and I do hope
this time you are having it, the best, the very best of
good wishes to you. We are just back after a long summer
in which I did a lot of work. Grammar is my hobby this
time but I thought I wrote you all about that. I did a
treatise on grammar that I think is pretty good if it ever
gets printed. I'll send it to you it is not a treatise much
enjoyably but it is interesting. We have not seen the Hardys
yet, I imagine they are still out of town, they will be
pleased at the news of your show and you. How much how very
much I care for you and all you do,

## From Paris to Kensington, 1.12.29

My dear Harry, I was glad to hear from you and if I see Je
again I will talk to him but I don't know just where he is
just now. I saw him when we just came home and he was then
holding his board in sorrow about the American stock market
but I guess that affliction is over and he is by now probably
all cheerful again as is his way, he said he was going to

- 19 -

may and quiet to work, so there be lots of Lords and more of them, Lord Henry Bentinck was at our house years ago to see the pictures in the old days and I remember he was not at all stupid about it, and so, and so. We are leading our usual quiet country life, I am working fairly steadily. I am doing a long narrative poem about Poetry and Fane, that rather please me, and also some plays that please me, the editor edits and to our mutual satisfaction we are selling it a little every week, and we are quite pleased with ourselves, and the editor is even ready to do a new book this fall and that for an editor you must admit is most amiable, but the important thing is you and we are sure and certain that it will go well and lots and lots of love to you both and kind regards to Mrs. Northeim.

From Boley to Bromley, March. 26.6.34

My dear Harry, Here are two letters I have just received that I think will please you; I have answered Rhys and sent him your address, we are down here in the country and have been for a month now and it is/wonderfully warm May and we needed the peace of it after a very strenuous winter in Paris. I am working a lot and I do so hope you are too. So many things have happened that it is rather hopeless to start in to write about it but anyway I am glad to know that people remember you. Lots of love to both.

(Enclosing letters from Brian Rhys and Sylvia Beach)

From Paris to New York, Britain, ... January 1936

My dear friends, I was glad to hear about you both and of
course anything that I can do to recommend Harry I will do,
and there is no one that ought to have it more, he was a
pioneer and a pioneer should have his reward, we had news
of you not long ago. Hardly drifted in, the same pleasant
Hardy he comes to Paris from time to time and he drifts in
and he tells us about himself and about you, we talked
about you a lot, he is always hopeful. He is once more
starting his business trip with the same pleasant hope that
he always has had.

We had a good time in England and so sorry we did
not see you, and now I am back to work. Picante very low
in his mind for a long time, now has had a big show and
has cheered up. Creative people have been low in their
minds lately, that is true enough. Alice is busy making
American candy, the dogs are waiting for their dinner and
imagine of all things our old relative, do you remember our
 servant is back with us, her husband died and she wanted to
come back. Lots of love to you both.