Letter from William Ralph Inge - 11 December 1934

Letter from William Ralph Inge, dated 11 December 1934, to Henry Hake, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, reporting the proposed gift to the Gallery of his portrait and noting the possible embarrassment this might cause to his fellow Trustees
(RP 4856)
 

Dec 11 1934
BRIGHTWELL MANOR,                    
WALLINGFORD.
TEL. 138.

Dear Mr Hake
I am afraid I cannot come to the meeting on the 13th.  Abp Moore was not one of the best of our Archbishops.  I have a notion that he left a scandalously large fortune.  There isa portrait of him at the St Paul's Deanery.
De Laszlo has lately done an excellent portrait of me.  He asked me to sit, and most kindly gave the picture to my wife, but on condition that at my death it shall be offered to the Gallery.  This condition might be embarrassing to my colleagues, but for the fact that I shall not be in a condition to have my feelings hurt if it is refused.  But I thought you might like to make a note of the reversionary claim of the Gallery.  The picture is still id De Laszlo's studio.

Yours sincerely

W. R. Inge
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