27 Freemantle Road Cotham Bristol 6 England Robin Baker Alec Reed Don Wilkinson Jim Wood 17 May 1966 Dear Mrs Schroder We had a very successful meeting with the children of Rietveld and I am writing to Mrs Eskes Rietveld to confirm their permission for us to go ahead with an exhibition of Rietveld's work. You will be pleased to hear that the Arts Council in London are willing to sponsor the exhibition, and we will be meeting them in London next month to discuss the matter in more detail. We do not know at this stage to what extent the Council are prepared to support the exhibition and this makes it difficult to know the form it will take, but we do see our function as 1) attempting to extend the available information about Rietveld, his philosophy, and work, 2) demonstrate the contribution he made to the Modern Movement, and 3) define that part of his work and thinking which is relevant to us today. We would like the exhibition to travel to London and at least two other cities in this country besides Bristol, with the possibility of travelling it to the Continent &t a later date. It is hoped that the exhibition will develop aa an annual event to take place in Bristol each summer, presenting the work of architects and designers who have made a contribution to the Modern Movement, and see it also as a precedent for the exchange of exhibitions to and from the Continent. It is difficult to convey the man through his work. The insight, sensitivity, imagination and love which Rietveld showed to that which he touched are qualities which are peculiarly his and which must come through, not only in the work itself but in the way in which the exhibition is organised and presented. To achieve this is our task, but I don't think we can do this without the help of those who were close to him in everyday life and at work, Because of your close collaboration with Rietveld on a number of projects in the early part of his life we feel you are in a unique position to advise and guide us. We would like to know what you feel about an exhibition of his work at this moment and if
2 there is any aspect^ of his work which you think must be included in this exhibition? We would also like to know a little more about yourself as a designer and the nature of your design collaboration with Rietveld, but we think that this can best be done through discussion, and can wait until our next visit to Holland. We welcome any advice you can give, and look forward to hearing from you in the near future. We have written to the following people: Mrs Eskes Rietveld, Wim Bertheux, Elisabeth Hontzager and Theodore Brown. With best wishes Jim Wood