Bragdon Annotated Correspondence, 1920

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1.   June 7, 1920

F.H. Sill[1] to Claude Bragdon
Addressed from:  Kent School, Kent, Conn.

 

  • Sill writes to thank Bragdon for his letter and for sending a check for the boys' expenses.  He will miss the boys when they are gone and predicts great futures for both of them.  Henry had a case of  poison ivy, but is doing well.


2.   July 31, 1920

Claude Bragdon to James Sibley Watson

  • Bragdon has read Sibley's review of T.O. and thinks it informing.  He makes a few corrections to quotations from himself that Sibley uses in the piece.  He thanks Sibley for the publicity.


3.   August 25, 1920

Claude Bragdon to Francis Bacon
Addressed from:  414 Cutler Building, Rochester, NY

  • Bragdon's mother is dying of cancer and his sister is worn out with it.  Bragdon goes every night to keep watch until 12.  Death leaves him "unterrified," as he believes that his philosophy holds true.  Eugenie has had some heart trouble and the boys are doing well.  Bragdon has completed work on Hampden's Hamlet and expects to do The Merchant of Venice and Romeo and Juliet.  He likes the work and feels "great competence" in it.  He plans to stay put until his mother passes and feels it his duty to relieve his mother and sister as much as possible.  They have had great difficulty getting morphine and feels that cancer is "the most dreadful disease."


4.   October 16, 1920

C. Jinarajadasa[2] to Claude Bragdon
Addressed from:  The Old House, Wimbledon, S.W. 19

  • Jinarajadasa has received Bragdon's books and thinks it "quite unique."  He has a large number of books to read and has not yet been able to start Uspenskii's.  He expands on a talk given to the Theosophical Educational Fraternity on the topic of "When the children awaken" and promises to send Bragdon a copy when it is printed.  He hopes that he will soon have another opportunity to meet Bragdon and compare notes.


5.   November, 1920

Claude Bragdon to Fritz Trautman
Addressed from:  The University Club, Fifth Avenue & 54th Street

  • Bragdon writes to tell Trautman of Eugenie's death.[3]  With her death, happiness and youth are gone.  Bragdon invites Trautman and Blackburn to come live with him.


6.   November 16, 1920

Claude Bragdon to Fritz Trautman
Addressed from:  The University Club, Fifth Avenue & 54th Street

  • Bragdon's letter reached Trautman in time for them to implement his "great plan" and Trautman will come to live with him.  Bragdon wants to enter his house for the first time alone—Eugenie promised to meet him there.  He is pleased that Trautman will be living with him and believes it is what Eugenie would have wanted.  Bragdon has already started work on The Merchant of Venice and Walter tells him that the critics like it even better than Hamlet.


7.   November 25, 1920

Claude Bragdon to Leah Cresswell Ellwanger
Addressed from:  Genesee Valley Club

  • Bragdon received Ellwanger's note and cards and feels that they made his homecoming a bit easier.  Eugenie's death was a great relief for her.


 

8.   November 17, 1920

Peter Uspenskii to Nicholas Bessarabov

9.   December 1, 1920

Claude Bragdon to Francis Bacon
Addressed from:  414 Cutler Building, Rochester, NY

  • Bragdon writes to tell Bacon of his mother's and Eugenie's deaths.  He is adjusting his life and feels successful in doing so.  Entering the empty house was difficult, but Trautman and Blackburn have come to live with him and everything is "immensely better."  Some draughtsmen have organized a club and want Bragdon and Trautman to help them.  Walter is ready to begin with The Merchant of Venice.

 

 


FOOTNOTES—1920:

People:

 

 

  • F.H. Sill (1)
  • Mother, sister (3)
  • C. Jinarajadasa (4)
  • Leah Cresswell Ellwanger (7)


 

 

 


NOTES

 

 

[1] Dr. Frederick Herbert Sill was the founder of the Kent School, where Bragdon's sons were enrolled.  He started the school in 1906 and served as its headmaster until 1941 (NY Times obits, July 18, 1952).  The Bragdons decided to send their sons to Kent largely because of Sill, who was a relation of Eugenie's by marriage.  They had a deep respect for Sill and always appreciated his care of their sons (MLTO, 82-83).

[2] Jinarajadasa was the eventual international president of the Theosophical Society (NYT obits, June 20, 1953).  At the time of his interactions with Bragdon, he was a lecturer on the subject of Theosophy.  Bragdon's encounters with Jinarajadasa led him to contemplate his dedication to Theosophy in a new light and prompted him to become active in the local Genesee Lodge of the Theosophical Society, where he was elected president (MLTO, 53-54).

[3] Eugenie's death

 


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