William Frederick Bigelow to FPK, June 4, 1923
Dublin Core
Title
William Frederick Bigelow to FPK, June 4, 1923
Description
2 page letter from W. F. Bigelow, the editor of Good Housekeeping, to FPK.
Creator
William Frederick Bigelow
Source
From the collection of Frances Parkinson Keyes Papers, Special Collections, University of Vermont Library.
Date
1923-06-04
Contributor
Digitized, transcribed, and encoded by Natalie Faulstich.
Type
Document.
Identifier
Box 3, Folder21
Coverage
From New York, NY to London, England
Document Item Type Metadata
Text
(first page)
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
EDITORIAL ROOMS
W. F. BIGELOW EDITOR
119 WEST 40TH ST.
NEW YORK CITY
June 4, 1923
Mrs. Frances Parkinson Keyes
Hyde Park Hotel
London
England
Dear Mrs. Keyes:
Two letters from you arrived today, one dated May 18th and the other the 23rd, from Milan. The latter letter came in just a few minutes ago, and since the Berengeria sails in the morning, I shall not be able to read the article before this letter goes. After I have read it I can decide definitely what to do, but the present plan is to discard most of the first article that you sent and use this one instead. What the other magazines may do does not really enter into the question just now so much as does the fact that something must be discarded, for it would be quite impossible for us to use all of the material, even of the timely material, that you will get. And as the magazine is all made up except the two pages that I have held for your article I do not think it will be possible for me to run the Mussolini interview as a separate feature. If we leave it as a part of the Letter, we shall, of course, call attention to it, and I have a notion that using it in that way will increase the importance of the Letter. After all, that is the big thing. Anyone can get articles -- maybe not this particular article -- no one else could write the Letters.
When your first letter from Rome came in I was so busy that I dictated a note to your son before I even finished reading the letter and then laid the letter aside to take up later your suggestion about extra room in London. And here now I must admit that I forgot all about it, and I have visions of you occupying very inadequate quarters in London. However, I hope that you have assumed the responsibility of getting what you need. I think I told you in the beginning that I did not see how it would be possible for you to wait to get my decision on most of the things that come up. You will have to adopt the policy that I am told was once in vogue in the West – Shoot first, ask questions afterward. I feel sure that we can trust your judgment.
(second page)
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
EDITORIAL ROOMS
W. F. BIGELOW EDITOR
119 WEST 40TH ST.
NEW YORK CITY
-2-
With regard to the use of your photograph in Court Dress in the English magazines, I do not feel that that would interfere with our use of such a photograph later, though it probably would be best to have one picture made exclusively for us. That will keep it out of the newspapers over here.
The daily press did not devote a great deal of space to the conference. About the only thing that got in was a reference to the ovation given Mrs. Catt and the speech by Mussolini. I did not even know the name of the new president till the picture of her arrived with your article. Probably it was in the papers, but in such an inconspicuous position that I did not notice it. In view of these facts I am glad to have your statement that the conference was a wonderful one.
I am sorry that you had the one disagreeable experience to which you alluded in the letter of May 18th. However, I should pay very little attention to such things. They really don’t amount to much except for the few moments while they are happening, and if you can live through that we certainly can stand the rest of it. For instance, we had never heard even an echo from the affair at Columbus. The publication that the lady at Columbus represented has had a representative at two recent conventions where she made herself most unpopular, and at the second convention was saved from being asked to go home only by the grace of the representative of Good Housekeeping. So I should say, again using a western aphorism, Say nothing and saw wood. The wood sawers always come out ahead.
I think your plan of not going to Switzerland is a good one. Certainly if there is going to be nothing but a committee session of the Child Welfars Association, it will not pay you to attend. There will doubtless be plenty of other bigger things to look after.
Very sincerely,
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
EDITORIAL ROOMS
W. F. BIGELOW EDITOR
119 WEST 40TH ST.
NEW YORK CITY
June 4, 1923
Mrs. Frances Parkinson Keyes
Hyde Park Hotel
London
England
Dear Mrs. Keyes:
Two letters from you arrived today, one dated May 18th and the other the 23rd, from Milan. The latter letter came in just a few minutes ago, and since the Berengeria sails in the morning, I shall not be able to read the article before this letter goes. After I have read it I can decide definitely what to do, but the present plan is to discard most of the first article that you sent and use this one instead. What the other magazines may do does not really enter into the question just now so much as does the fact that something must be discarded, for it would be quite impossible for us to use all of the material, even of the timely material, that you will get. And as the magazine is all made up except the two pages that I have held for your article I do not think it will be possible for me to run the Mussolini interview as a separate feature. If we leave it as a part of the Letter, we shall, of course, call attention to it, and I have a notion that using it in that way will increase the importance of the Letter. After all, that is the big thing. Anyone can get articles -- maybe not this particular article -- no one else could write the Letters.
When your first letter from Rome came in I was so busy that I dictated a note to your son before I even finished reading the letter and then laid the letter aside to take up later your suggestion about extra room in London. And here now I must admit that I forgot all about it, and I have visions of you occupying very inadequate quarters in London. However, I hope that you have assumed the responsibility of getting what you need. I think I told you in the beginning that I did not see how it would be possible for you to wait to get my decision on most of the things that come up. You will have to adopt the policy that I am told was once in vogue in the West – Shoot first, ask questions afterward. I feel sure that we can trust your judgment.
(second page)
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
EDITORIAL ROOMS
W. F. BIGELOW EDITOR
119 WEST 40TH ST.
NEW YORK CITY
-2-
With regard to the use of your photograph in Court Dress in the English magazines, I do not feel that that would interfere with our use of such a photograph later, though it probably would be best to have one picture made exclusively for us. That will keep it out of the newspapers over here.
The daily press did not devote a great deal of space to the conference. About the only thing that got in was a reference to the ovation given Mrs. Catt and the speech by Mussolini. I did not even know the name of the new president till the picture of her arrived with your article. Probably it was in the papers, but in such an inconspicuous position that I did not notice it. In view of these facts I am glad to have your statement that the conference was a wonderful one.
I am sorry that you had the one disagreeable experience to which you alluded in the letter of May 18th. However, I should pay very little attention to such things. They really don’t amount to much except for the few moments while they are happening, and if you can live through that we certainly can stand the rest of it. For instance, we had never heard even an echo from the affair at Columbus. The publication that the lady at Columbus represented has had a representative at two recent conventions where she made herself most unpopular, and at the second convention was saved from being asked to go home only by the grace of the representative of Good Housekeeping. So I should say, again using a western aphorism, Say nothing and saw wood. The wood sawers always come out ahead.
I think your plan of not going to Switzerland is a good one. Certainly if there is going to be nothing but a committee session of the Child Welfars Association, it will not pay you to attend. There will doubtless be plenty of other bigger things to look after.
Very sincerely,