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[1956-11-01] Letter from Arthur A. Shurcliff to Rev. Anthony J. Eiardi, S.J.

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[1956-11-01] Letter from Arthur A. Shurcliff to Rev. Anthony J. Eiardi, S.J.

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Shurcliff, Shurcliff & Merrill
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS
TOWN PLANNERS

Arthur A. Shurcliff, F.A.S.L.A. * A.I.P.
Sidney N. Shurcliff, F.A.S.L.A. * A.I.P.
Vincent N. Merrill, A.S.L.A.

14 BEACON STREET
BOSTON 8, MASS.
CAPITOL 7-7080 * 7-7081

November 1, 1956
Rev. Anthony J. Eiardi, S.J.
Fairfield University,
Fairfield, Connecticut.

Reverend Sir:
Time flies so fast I am ashamed to see that the month of August letter you wrote me is still unanswered. It is an interesting letter and I wish I could give you more detailed information. I have marked the photographs on the back, - A, B. C. D.
A. I do not recognize the exact position of that view.
B. The Japanese lantern was an original imported by the owner. In the distance I see the two bridges. I designed both of them, but with the invaluable help of the late Langdon Warner of the Fogg Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He had visited Japan four or five times and had traveled in China. However, he never saw the garden though I wish he had.
C. The pergola shown in this photograph was also designed by me, but with more help from Langdon Warner. He also felt the nearby fence would be appropriate to the general scheme.
D. This picture shows another familiar view of objects which I have described already.
I am especially delighted with your postscript, which I quote as follows:
“You will be pleased to hear that I have the water running in the garden. The pools are filled, the running water in the channels sparkles in the sunlight, and the sound of wter over the falls adds to the peaceful atmosphere of the garden.”
Evidently you are unusually appreciate of such simple work and perhaps you have also visited Japan or will some day.
Regarding the volcano, I wonder if it still exists. It had a flue running through the center so that a small fire, especially of damp material, would issue smoke, as sometimes happened with Fuji. The bare rocks on the top were symbolized by similar small pieces of native stone. The upland vegetation near the summit was indicated by Stonecrops. Of all the parts of the garden I suppose this Fuji must have been the most perishing because of its exceedingly small scale and perhaps the danger of fire creeping from the little fire box beneath.
With kind regard, I am
Sincerely yours,
Arthur A. Shurcliff
AAS/W

Description

Title	[1956-11-01] Letter from Arthur A. Shurcliff to Rev. Anthony J. Eiardi, S.J.
Author	Arthur A. Shurcliff
Date	November 01 1956
Description	Letter from landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff to Fairfield University professor Rev. Anthony J. Eiardi, S.J. regarding the Japanese Garden at Bellarmine Hall. Shurcliff comments on the Japanese lantern, the pergola, and the miniature version of Mount Fujiyama. He also quotes from Father Eiardi's original letter and expresses appreciation for his efforts in trying to reconstruct the garden.
Notes	This is the second of three letters from the landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff to Rev. Anthony J. Eiardi, S.J. In 1956 Father Eiardi wrote to Shurcliff asking for his recollections regarding the Japanese Garden at Bellarmine Hall (formerly the Lashar residence), which Eiardi was interested in maintaining and restoring. Shurcliff (nee Shurtleff) was responsible for the original creation of the garden in 1926. Father Eiardi sent to Shurcliff photographs of the garden. These Shurcliff returned in his later two letters with notes. To view the photographs of the Japanese Garden that Shurcliff refers to, please search our Fairfield University Historical Photographs Collection.
Type of Document	Correspondence
Original Format	Stationery paper; typewritten; signed; 8 1/2 x 11 in.
Digital Specifications	These images exist as archived high resolution TIFFs and JPEGs and one or more PDF versions for general use. They were scanned at 600 dpi from the original using an Epson Expression 10000XL scanner.
Date Digital	2009
Source	Fairfield University Archives and Special Collections
Copyright Information	Fairfield University reserves all rights to this resource which is provided here for educational and/or non-commercial purposes only.
Identifier	19561101Shurcliff
SearchData	Shurcliff, Shurcliff & Merrill LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS TOWN PLANNERS Arthur A. Shurcliff, F.A.S.L.A. * A.I.P. Sidney N. Shurcliff, F.A.S.L.A. * A.I.P. Vincent N. Merrill, A.S.L.A. 14 BEACON STREET BOSTON 8, MASS. CAPITOL 7-7080 * 7-7081 November 1, 1956 Rev. Anthony J. Eiardi, S.J. Fairfield University, Fairfield, Connecticut. Reverend Sir: Time flies so fast I am ashamed to see that the month of August letter you wrote me is still unanswered. It is an interesting letter and I wish I could give you more detailed information. I have marked the photographs on the back, - A, B. C. D. A. I do not recognize the exact position of that view. B. The Japanese lantern was an original imported by the owner. In the distance I see the two bridges. I designed both of them, but with the invaluable help of the late Langdon Warner of the Fogg Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He had visited Japan four or five times and had traveled in China. However, he never saw the garden though I wish he had. C. The pergola shown in this photograph was also designed by me, but with more help from Langdon Warner. He also felt the nearby fence would be appropriate to the general scheme. D. This picture shows another familiar view of objects which I have described already. I am especially delighted with your postscript, which I quote as follows: “You will be pleased to hear that I have the water running in the garden. The pools are filled, the running water in the channels sparkles in the sunlight, and the sound of wter over the falls adds to the peaceful atmosphere of the garden.” Evidently you are unusually appreciate of such simple work and perhaps you have also visited Japan or will some day. Regarding the volcano, I wonder if it still exists. It had a flue running through the center so that a small fire, especially of damp material, would issue smoke, as sometimes happened with Fuji. The bare rocks on the top were symbolized by similar small pieces of native stone. The upland vegetation near the summit was indicated by Stonecrops. Of all the parts of the garden I suppose this Fuji must have been the most perishing because of its exceedingly small scale and perhaps the danger of fire creeping from the little fire box beneath. With kind regard, I am Sincerely yours, Arthur A. Shurcliff AAS/W

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