Inside Sandzen Summer 05

INSIDE SANDZÉN
This feature, highlighting a discovery relating to Sandzén from the archives, will be periodically updated on the website and is planned for each issue of Gallery Notes.

In this letter Alfrida Sandzén writes to her husband Birger Sandzén on "Monday afternoon," in August 1922. Although the exact date is not given, Birger had sent a telegram to say he had arrived in Manitou Springs (near Colorado Springs) on Saturday, August 12, 1922, and there is also a letter (in Swedish) written by him on a Saturday, which seems to be the one being answered by Alfrida. Thus, given the speedy mail delivery in earlier days, this letter was probably written Monday August 14.

The letter records the busy and varied lives of both Birger Sandzén and his wife, with art requiring high priority. The length of the letter requires excerpts only with summaries of omissions and minor editing for ease of reading.

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Dearest darling Birger -
Many thanks for your delightful letter written last Saturday. So you have been to the top of Pike's Peak! It must be a wonderful sight from there. I am so glad that you didn't feel any discomfort. I am certainly anxious to see the sketches you have been making.
Well, yesterday (Sunday) was a busy day for me. [She had plans for going to church "for a special celebration for all the members over 70 at the church. Just think, there are 175 of them at Bethany Church!" Also she was expecting the Enoch Engstroms, her aunt and uncle, to bring daughter Margaret home from McPherson and to come in time for dinner.]
Then early in the morning while I was eating my breakfast the phone rang. It was a lady inquiring for you. When she heard you were not at home, she asked if it would be all right for her to come down and see your studio. Of course I said I would be glad to show her your pictures.
[After this visit another car stopped with people who had called the day before from Wichita. They selected paintings for a "wealthy friend from the East" to see in another friend's home. They also went to the library to see some "good-sized ones."] I had to go to church so I left them down in your studio with a pitcher of ice lemonade to refresh themselves with. They wanted to select some smaller canvases at the same time.
When I came back they had gone down town to see some friends. They came back later. They had selected 5 more paintings. [Alfrida describes the five and then gives the prices she had suggested for them.] Well, so much for business. Oh yes, they took all the pictures out of the frames and packed them carefully.
[Engstroms and Margaret arrived about one.] Margaret looked splendid. All the rest looked well and happy. I had been interrupted a great deal with the preparation of my dinner. We finally sat down to a good meal…. Well, my dear boy, I must say goodbye now. You may be sure I am thinking constantly of [you].

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Another letter, written on January 28, 1923, by Birger Sandzén to a friend in or near Chicago, is found in "Inside Sandzén" in the Summer 2005 issue of Gallery Notes, distributed to all Gallery members. In this letter Birger tells of his life and recent exhibitions. Also included in the column are "Notes from the Archives," which include among other things information on two recent scholarly articles on the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery and on Birger Sandzén and his art.