Good Tidings from the Archives!
This month there will be a new exhibit case to enjoy on display in the Dining Room! Christmas cards to the Coe’s will be on view in time for Deck the Halls, holiday house tours and Home for the Holidays.
Christmas card from Helen Keller, 1907, Planting Fields Foundation Archives
Helen Keller sent this Christmas card to Mai Rogers Coe in 1907. Keller was acquainted with Mai through Mai’s father, H.H. Rogers—a patron of Mark Twain, Booker T. Washington, and Keller. Rogers played a critical role in funding Keller’s education at Radcliffe. In a letter to Mai from 1910, Keller describes a beautiful winter scene and asks that she give her love to Mai’s children and “tell them about our Christmas up in the Green Mountains. We had great fun bobsledding, tobogganing, and sleighing. I cannot ever forget those hills with the deep snow and the warm sun upon them and the big spruces and pines everywhere.”
Everett Shinn, Untitled Christmas Card, 1924, Planting Fields Foundation Archives
Nearly 10 years after completing his work at Planting Fields, artist Everett Shinn remained in touch with Mai Coe. Mai was a patron of Shinn, commissioning him to design the interior of the Tea House off the Blue Pool Garden, as well as a suite of paintings for her dressing room. This card features a drawing by Shinn that shows a lively scene of women in typical 1920’s hairstyle and fashion dancing at a party. Multiple holiday and greeting cards from Shinn remain in the Planting Fields Foundation collection. Robert Coe also collected works by Shinn, which are on view outside of Mai’s bedroom at Planting Fields.
Christmas Eve letter from Samuel Clemens, 1905, Planting Fields Foundation Archives
In 1905, Samuel Clemens—otherwise known as Mark Twain— wrote to W.R. Coe and told him he plans to visit his “most valued friends” for a “good handshake and a drink” on New Year’s Day. Clemens likely stopped by the Coe’s New York City address on 83rd Street.
Happy Holidays from the Collections and Archives team!
From Emily Leger, Collections and Exhibitions Manager and Marie Penny, Michael D. Coe Archivist