1952–April 1953

G. H. McFadden.

THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

CURIUM EXCAVATIONS EPISKOPI, LIMASSOL CYPRUS

12th December, 1952The Director, The University Museum, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Dear Fro:-

Many thanks for yours of December 3rd. I am not sure if I can go along with you in your use of the word gamble. Actually its hard to see how the clearing of a house which has produced two such mosaics, one of which is on the road to fame, can bring anything but great credit to the Museum. It is right on the main road where all visitors to Cyprus can see it. I want to make it clear that I'm not interested in raising more funds at the present stage for further excavations. I'm much more anxious about the publication of what we have already done. You'll remember that the mosaics were found while clearing a site for the new guard house, and no further excavation is needed in this connection. I thought the Museum might be interested, however, as the opportunity seemed exceptional.

To the loot from the tomb of the gold scepter consficated in 1903 and comprising four items I have added another 36 of considerable interest. The catalogue is about complete and almost all of the text. I'm now typing up the notes. If the publication is too small for your series I don't imagine we'll have much trouble in getting the A.J.A. to accept it.

I'm sending some photos of the mosaics to Rodney. I seem to have been mistaken in believing that I either gave or sent you some last summer.

Art News has written offering to publish a colored plate of the mosaics and suggesting notice of it in their journal might run concurrently with a fuller publication elsewhere. The thought occured to us that they might be willing to let us use their colored plate in the more detailed publication which would cater to quite another circle of readers.

Yours as ever,

GHMcF/cp

Stamp: illegible

Handwritten: signature

Handwritten: Curium - McFadden