Publication InformationRome July 11 1880

Prof S [F.] Baird

Page 1

Dear [...]

Your best course is to procure immediately instructions to me from the State Department to propose the exchanges you wish, & it is important that the Italian government be aware that the S.I. is not a private association, whose collections may some day be dispersed, but that is virtually a government Institution, and is both protected & directed by the U.S. gov. of which it is the sole scientific agent, representative & depository. I shall at once bring the subject before the M.F.A. & hope something may be done to promote your object but it is important that the It. gov. understand that it is dealing with our govt.

I have not seen the official reports from Berlin, but know that you get immense credit. I suppose the burglars won't steal the glass part of your vase, but I should not like to [...] the silver, if as I understand you, it is a compound object.

Yours very trulyGeo P Marsh

P.S. I have received the Story papers & will send them to S. who is in Switzerland & it seems, will not come back till autumn I am afraid he will not think $15000 enough

References in this letter:

Minister of Foreign Affairs

An International Fishery Exhibition was held in Berlin in April, 1880.

William Wetmore Story (1819-1895), a graduate of Harvard Law School, eventually left the law for sculpture, settling in Rome. Two of his most famous pieces, both reflecting an interest in exotic subjects, are "Cleopatra" (1858) and "The Libyan Sibyl" (1861).