July–December 1935

BHH to JJ 27 vii 35

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I do not think so. All the vases were cleaned and repaired in 1932. Those in question were in June 1932 taken carefully the short distance from our workrooms to the Museum in Nicosia, where they were stored until January 1935. The greater part of them had been packed with considerable care in 36 cases, which were, I think, quite undisturbed for a couple of years. In 1934 these vases were shifted from one storage place to another two or three times and some of them clearly suffered, but the chief of damage was incurred when they were shipped by lorrie the 64 miles from Nicosia to Episkopi last January. The pots not packed in cases in 1932 (mostly large Geometric amphorae) were stored on shelves in the Museum and suffered no harm at all until the beginning of this year. Then from two or three handlings, some exposure to weather, rather hurried packing (in 4 big cases, making the total of boxes 40) and the journey by lorrie and wagon to Episkopi, they must have been damaged considerably.

From the above recital you will see why there is likely to be a good deal of necessary re-mending before the vases can be photographed and properly catalogued. Nevertheless I am confident, having been present during the final stowing-away of all the cases, that the contents of more than half of them will be found in reasonably good condition; but ten or so are undoubtedly in a bad state. This was not anticipated when the Museum's arrangement was made with Virginia, and she quite rightly does not see how the unexpected expense can be charged to the $400.

She has all the Lapithos field notebooks and will find in Episkopi the original inventories and accession lists and duplicates of the reports to which you refer. So you will not need to send those over here. What will be needed both for Virginia's use and as gifts of courtesy to the Cyprus Museum are photographs of the objects already in Philadelphia.

I was much pleased by your encouraging references to Kourion/Curium, which I am passing on to George McFadden on the chance that Mr.Jayne may not yet have written him. We expect to resume work down there the first of October, and as Dorothy Cox is to come and make plans for us I hope reasonably early in the autumn to have an account of the work done so for on the acropolis, which cannot be made clear without plans, ready to send to the Museum.

I am writing Mr.Jayne briefly on the principal subject of this letter, counting on your making any explanations necessary. We need the Museum's decision on the ultimate destination of the pottery now in Episkopi as early as possible.

Sincerely,