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Friday, February 26, 2010

Letter of the day, February 26

This letter relates to the design of the new building for the Museum & Library at 7th St and Independence Ave, SW. The building was designed by Washington architect Adolph Cluss, and demolished in 1968 for the Hirschhorn Museum.

February 26, 1887

Gentlemen:
Will you have the kindness to return to me the drawings for the iron work of the bookstack for the new Army Medical Museum and Library building if you have no further use for them. I enclose an addressed frank.

Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant
(Signed) John S. Billings
Surgeon U.S. Army

Copies of this letter were sent to:

Builder's Iron Foundry
Providence, R.I.

Manly & Cooper Manuf. Co.
Philadelphia, Pa.

Bartlett, Hayward & Co.,
Baltimore, Md.

1 comment:

cruisingat60 said...

An interesting sidebar to the story about the Old Red Brick being destroyed to make way for the Hirschhorn: the Army Medical Museum was designated a National Historic Landmark and there's a plaque dated 1965 to prove it. When the prime space was wanted on the mall, the designation was transferred to the collection and down came that really beautiful building. Maybe not gorgeous (stately and classic is more like it) on the outside but lovely skylights and a mezzanine that ran around the walls of the upper level in the galleries. I'm pretty sure there are photos on our Flickr page that show the interior. If not, I'll get some posted next week.