1949

To Rodney Young

6 October 1949Dear Rodney:

After all the shelf checking, there was no time left to go back and put all the "locations" on the cards—these are only on the inventory. Files and Christophis will take good care of this document, but it had to be left in the open more or less for convenience' sake. I made cardboard covers (not fastened, but with a key to the use of the lists) for it, to keep the dirt off, and it is in the drafting room, which is the cleanest room in the place. I'm quite sure it will be safe there. Some day a couple of heavy spring binders will take care of everything.

The latter—

(7) Other files in general. I made file covers and labeled them for—(a) various old Nicosia object-lists, (b) old packing case lists, (c) coin lists—and by the way, you and McFadden were speaking of is in the file. Fales knows how the files work and can send you anything you ask for. But there are many more than one such "list identified by Coy and Bellinger" and a date would be helpful if you want a particular list. (d) cataloguing and preservation notes that have been kicking around loose from various sources and on various subjects, including JY's notes on the shelving of the terracottas, (e,f,g,h,i)—file covers for nos. 1,2,4,5, and 6 above. That's all. In "cataloguing" I left an I can remember now, but I think that is all. In "cataloguing" I left an account of how to go about correcting duplications, all that is involved, so that there will be less chance of changes being made already been set to Nicosia and changing the numbers on objects that have already been set to Nicosia and seen through. I think, should be kept as a job in itself, not just begun and left partly done, as I should have to leave it if I had started.

Sorry that the Apollo objects are still slow on Tomb 21, and I used the extra time (hypping up the tombs and inventorying.

So much for the work in Kourion—it was a busy and wonderful summer, and I learned a lot about the paper-work on a dig. In fact I don't know how better I could have learned the same amount in so short a time. The people I shall miss most now that I have come away, are little Christakis and Joe Last. Andreas and Savvi were wonderful to me, and so was Fales, but Christakis was my chum. He ran millions of errands for me and helped me match pictures.

The trip back was full of adventure—a troupe of ballet dancers aboard who totally eclipsed yours truly; everybody seasick after Alexandria but me; the usual friskings and fleecings in the Egyptian customs; much letter-writing and eating and sleeping.

Life was good. Mr. Hill was at the dock to meet me and he certainly was patient during all the loiterings and waitings.

When I got back to Lorin, Roger had toodled off to Rhodes, leaving me the cold comfort of a note about learning to process bronzes. So I have been down at the agora every day going through my paces with Christos who is about due to leave for the army this weekend. I like the "metals lab" and especially the electric polisher, which of course we shan't have at Corinth, eh? But I see through Christos's system for keeping the coin envelopes straight, and am learning slowly how you get the guck off a bronze frag. Give me time. I'm not Rozy the riveter.

The minute I got in I ran down into the kitchen to look for Despoina, but was hauled up short when it turned out to be some character named Paraskevas. Eleftheria led me, however, to Despoina and I was surprised to see her looking so ill. What did you do to her after I left?

That about brings me up to date—as of now, sitting down to collect my wits on the subject of ivories. I have decided that I need to know a lot more Near East history before I can make any sense out of which way they were traveling and why. Miss Swindler says sixth and seventh centuries are enough, so that's a load of my mind. You are lucky to be back in Phila and in close contact with U. of Penn, Princeton, and may I add B.M.? If you see Machteld, or Conrad, please give them my best best. And there are a couple of my chums down in the Education Dept., name of Marie and Liz, whom you might ole for me. Don't let the med routine get you down.

Yours, and a bucket of bolts—

Printed: pp5-