The Bohemian Southampton Art Scene

Pencil sketch of a wine bottle
by Art Price.

Tuesday, March 21, 1950

20 Cooper Street

Southampton, NY

Dear June,

I went to my sketch class as usual tonight.  Mr. Mayer brought a quart of wine with him so I guess we looked very bohemian there.  We had a new model.  The class lasted till 10:30 than I dropped in to see Joe Cerullo and had a couple of beers on top of the wine.  Phooey – it’s a wonder I didn’t get sick!

Anyway, it’s midnight and I’m home now.  Tomorrow’s my half day off so I can sleep late.  I’m not used to these late hours weekday nights, you know.  I’ll have to get used to them, darling.  I expect to see you every night you’re home in two weeks.

There’s nothing much more to tell you.  I think I’ll leave this open and maybe write some more tomorrow.  Good night now, darling.  I love you.

Wednesday, 10 A.M.

Good morning, sweetheart.  I just got up and your letter from Monday’s already here.  I’m awfully sorry that Shirl didn’t show up Monday.  I certainly hope she’s there by now.  I’m very worried about you, darling.  Please don’t feel too bad there, will you?  Please don’t go out alone at night either, will you, darling?  If she doesn’t come back soon and you have to come home, you’ll be sure and tell me, won’t you?  I’m terribly selfish, darling.  I almost hope you do have to come home.  Your letter was sealed with a kiss, I think, so I’ll do the same.

Lots of love,

Art

(Later today – cloth for the cape.)

© 2011 Lee Price

36 Minutes to Spring

Bird in flight, pencil sketch by Art Price.

Monday, March 20, 1950

20 Cooper Street

Southampton, NY

Dear June,

Well there is one day gone, just eleven more to go till you’re home in my arms again.  It was a wonderful weekend, darling.  I love you.

Nothing much happened today.  It was a busy Monday as usual.  I didn’t do anything tonight.  Just sat around and read a little.  I really meant to go to bed earlier than this but I guess at 10:45 it’s still fairly early.  I hope you had a good trip back even though it seemed awfully early.  I hope you’re not too tired tonight.

I can’t think of anything more to tell you than I love you, I love you, my darling.  I hope you love me, too.  Be good and take care of yourself.  They just said on the radio that it’s 11:24 and spring starts in just 36 minutes.  We’ll have warm weather for you soon, sweetheart.  Remember me to Shirl.  Good night for now, darling.  I love you.

Lots of more love,

Art

(Tomorrow – Southampton's bohemian art scene.)

© 2011 Lee Price

Down in the Dumps

Monday, March 20, 1950

46 West 83rd Street, Apt. 7B

New York City, NY

Dear Art,

Darling – I’m sorry, but I’m down in the dumps again.  I’m so terribly, terribly lonesome – I hate the horrible green walls of this room.  I feel caged in.  I called up Mother about half an hour ago.  I guess I shouldn’t have – I feel a little better but Mother’s probably worried now.

June Anderson, circa 1950.

My trouble is that Shirl didn’t come back.  I’m here all alone.  Her sister Evie her sister called up this afternoon to say that Shirl has a very bad cold and couldn’t come back to the city today.  Evie also said that if Shirl were better she might come in tomorrow.  Oh, Art, what if she doesn’t?  What if she’s out for several days?  I don’t know what I’ll do.  I don’t think I could stand it here.

And, oh Art, I was going to tell her what a wonderful time I had this weekend!  I have so much to talk about it’s hard to contain – I like to relive the hours as closely as possible.  Of course, I only tell Shirl the outline of things we did and said – not the times that belong to us alone.  Talking helps bring you near to me while you’re away, almost as much as writing to you does.  You don’t mind, do you, darling?

I’m sorry, darling.  I’m not one of those women who can write an interesting, gay, and cheerful letter no matter how they feel.  I can only write what I feel.  Maybe I’ll walk in tomorrow after school and Shirl will be here and I’ll feel happy again and realize that two days have already gone by and only ten are left till vacation time and you.  I hope so – then you’ll be able to smile as you read my letter.

Art, dear, I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed my weekend home with you.  Words just can’t express it.  I miss you, darling, love you and miss you very much.

All my love (I wish I could send a kiss too),

June

(Later today – countdown to spring.)

© 2011 Lee Price

"My Mother's Discussing Communism..."

“I’m having difficulty paying attention to my writing right now.  My mother’s standing here discussing communism.  We were talking about it at Partida’s, too.”

                                                             Arthur Price

                                                             Letter to June Anderson, March 16, 1950

Art’s family was solidly Republican; Art’s mother even sent birthday cards to Herbert Hoover for many years after his term as president.  The family was politically skeptical of the New Deal.  If Art’s mother was discussing communism, it would have been as a staunch anti-communist.



Although the United States was an ally of the communist Soviet Union through World War II, relations between east and west deteriorated quickly in the immediate post-war period.  The war ended in August 1945 and Churchill made his famous “Iron Curtain” speech in March 1946.

Mao-Tse Tung on the cover of
TIME magazine, Feb. 7, 1949.

By 1949, numerous factors were increasing world tension.  With the ratification of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in March 1949, the lines of the Cold War were drawn.

As June and Art were concluding their first summer together in late August 1949, the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, shocking the world into a recognition of the possibility of nuclear war.  Then in October, as June settled into her second year at Traphagen School of Fashion, China fell to the communists with the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

The early months of 1950 were packed with news relating to communism, both at home and abroad.  The Alger Hiss trial made national news in January as he was convicted of perjury in charges that asserted Hiss was spying for the Soviets during his high-ranking State Department work for the Truman administration.  In February 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy publicly stated that the State Department was “infested with communists” and that he had their names.  This announcement caused a political furor and was widely covered in the press.  Immediately following this, the Soviet Union and China announced a mutual defense treaty and even France looked like it might swing communist as pro-communist riots erupted in mid-February.

News of communism was in all the newspapers, it was the subject of discussion at Art’s classes at Partida’s School of Art, and even his mother was talking about communism as Art wrote his letter to June on the evening of March 16, 1950.  It was an unavoidable topic.

(For Monday – back at school and down in the dumps.)
 

© 2011 Lee Price

Everyone's Talking About Communism

Thursday, March 16, 1950

20 Cooper Street

A portrait by Art Price.  This may be the
woman's head mentioned in the letter.
There is no surviving sketch in the
collection of the bathing suit model.

Southampton, NY


Dear June,



Well darling, I just got home from my sketching class. There were only four of us in there – myself, Secunda (the teacher), Ed Mayor, and, of course, the model.  I’ve been looking at a girl in a bathing suit all evening.  Jealous, dear?  Tomorrow is painting class. I think we’re going to do a head.

Tomorrow morning is my half day off so I’ll get a little extra sleep.  I hope you’re getting your rest, and not staying up till 3 o’clock talking.  I’m having difficulty paying attention to my writing right now.  My mother’s standing here discussing communism.  We were talking about it at Partida’s, too.

I’ll probably get one more letter tomorrow.  I sure hope there are no changes about this weekend.  Morton Downey is on the radio singing “I Love You, My Darling” and you know that I do.  See you Friday, sweetheart,

Lots of love,

Art

(For Saturday – background on 1950.)

 © 2011 Lee Price

Torn Apart and Bewildered

Wednesday, March 15, 1950

46 West 83rd Street, Apt. 7B

New York City, NY

Dear Art,

Art, darling, I needed you today.  I still do.  I feel bad – not physically, but torn apart and bewildered.  And nothing happened to make me feel this way.  It’s one of those bad days where nothing actually goes wrong yet everything is wrong.  I need a shoulder to weep on or arms around me – comforting, or just the presence of someone who wants me to feel good.  You.

I’m sorry, darling.  A cheerful letter can’t seem to come from me tonight.  I’ll try to do better.  Shirl and I went to the movies tonight.  We saw Lifeboat and Jane Eyre – both excellent pictures.  Revivals, you know.

Shirl’s sleeping now.  I feel so alone and lonely.  It’s a good thing for me I’m going home this weekend.  You’ll be pleased to

see me, won’t you, darling?

I’ve done nothing at all these last two days, it seems, and I absolutely have some homework due tomorrow.  I haven’t even started it yet.  I don’t know if I can face doing it tonight or not.

I’m terribly sorry, dear, for writing such a depressing letter.  Maybe I’ll feel a

little better after telling you my woes even if it’s only in a letter.  So will you forgive me?

By Friday, I’m sure I shall be in bright spirits again.  Until then (and forever),

All my love,

June

This is a P.S., Art darling, being written in school about 9:45 in the morning.  I’ll mail this as soon as I sign off.  Well, I feel much, much better.  I don’t understand what was wrong with me last night.  Why, I’m even almost ready to face some schoolwork this morning.  Shirl and another friend are coming for me at 3:30 this afternoon and then we’re going someplace to look at materials.  I think I’ll call Daddy up and see if my income tax is home yet.  Just think – there should be a letter from you when I get home today!  I hope you’re feeling well and cheerful in it.  Gee, there’s not many people in school today.  The place is empty.  But I have to stay – I can’t miss any more days.

Love,

June

(Tomorrow – Art and the girl in the bathing suit.)
 

© 2011 Lee Price

Women Take Over the House

Tuesday, March 14, 1950

20 Cooper Street

Southampton, NY

Dear June,

Art's father, Arthur N. Price, a pencil
sketch by Art Price.

It’s five minutes till midnight so I’m barely getting this letter written today.  Five minutes till midnight and we just got the last of the women out of the house!  I think I told you that my mother was hosting a meeting of the executives of the women’s organization.  While they met, my father and I went to the movies.  When we came home, some were still here.  You know how women like to talk!

I found out today that I won the suit club that I belong to.  That’s twice I’ve won.  I’m lucky in more ways than one, sweetheart.  I know I’m lucky in one.

Are you having bad weather there?  It’s rained and sleeted all day and now there’s a couple of signs of snow on the ground.  I hope it clears up by this weekend.    Well, darling, I’m going to cut this short now and go to bed.  I’ll see you Friday night at eight.  Till then my darling, I love you.

Lots of love,

Art

(Tomorrow – one of those days when everything is wrong.)

© 2011 Lee Price