January 12,1939 Mr. James B. Rankin Apartment 63 423 West 118th St. New York, N.Y. Dear Jim: Thank you for your kind note of January 10th written in San Francisco. I was surely glad to hear that you had such good luck with Con Price. Bob wrote me that the interview was most satisfactory and that he is forwarding some photographs to me and I am to send you a set as soon as they arrive. I obtained the address of Mr. Armstrong, which is as follows: W.N. Armstrong, 108 Malibu Beach, via Santa Monica, California. I understand this man at one time was very wealthy and had considerable Russell work, but that he has very little left. I am going to try to get down there and get the data for you. Under separate cover I am sending you six photographs of Russell work. On the reverse side of each is complete data. “Mexican Bandits” (water color) and “The Return of the Warriors” (water color) you saw at my home – also the large oil painting of “Cowboys Roping a Coyote”. These pictures I have had for some time and obtained them through Mrs. Florence Russell. The other three pictures were received here this week from Mrs. Young of Geneseo, New York. I do not as yet own these pictures, but I have forwarded her an offer – so the three prints you will have to hold in abeyance until I advise you as to their status. I hope that I may be able to conclude the deal and if I do I will advise you so that you will be able to properly catalog them. If I do not complete the deal, that is another story, and I do not know just what the status of the three photographs would be. I received word this morning that my offer to Mr. Koetzli for the uncast clay by Russell, titled “Wolf”, was acceptable and the piece is now on its way here. If you care to have data on that, I will be glad to have it photographed and send it on to you. I have myself not seen it as yet. Last night Helen and I went to an auction in Pasadena of a rather large estate. There must have been three hundred oil paintings which were being sold for about ten cents on the dollar. We bought three – a Couse, a Puthoff and another Hans Paap. I am shipping the Hans Paap to Bob James who very much loves his work. I do not need to tell you how much I enjoyed visiting with you and I hope you will keep in touch with me as often as you find it convenient to write, Best personal regards. Very truly yours, [Transcribed by Lauren B. Gerfen, 2011-10-24]