To Spokane Bank from Bertha (draft letter) – Approx. 1948
[Note: Bertha is about 58 years old.]
[Note: In 1948, the First Federal Savings Loan Bank in Spokane commissioned her to do an Indian theme mural, and for accuracy in re-creating the figures, she lived with the Colville tribe at their reservation in eastern Washington. Likely from her memory bank, she also recreated scenes from frontier forts, including Fort Niobrara, where she had lived as a youth.]
I am glad to have the opportunity of thanking Mr. Lindsay, the director of the 1st Federal Savings and Loan and Mr. ______ for his most interesting commission to which I have spent devoted most of my painting and much of reading time during the past year.
I believe it was Mr. ______ who first suggested that I paint a Spokane _____. It immediately appealed to me as the ideal subject for a Spokane bank. Not only because it was one of the earliest settlements in this past century, but because it was the very first commercial enterprise in this particular locality.
The work of an historical artist is like that of a newspaper reporter in some respects at least ______ collect as many facts as possible and then endeavor to present them to the public in an interesting a manner as possible.
So after making a few purely _____ sketches based on general information, I said about learning everything I could as possible about the subject.
The Indians were not quite new to me as I spent most of my early childhood in contact with them and have always carried with me memories of their camps, their dances, their horses, their children and their dogs.
I read everything I could lay my hands on that had to do with the early traders, explorers and Indians.
[Note: She lists various books and draft letter is cut short.]
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