Den 8 November, 1907



An den Herrn Professur Dr. Brauer,

Direktor des Museums für Naturkunde

No. 4, Invalidenstrasse Berlin.

Sehr geehrter Herr:

Through the Imperial German Embassy in Washington a few days ago I received a letter from His Excellency Dr. Holle, Minster der Geistlichen, Unterrichts und Medizinalangelagenheiten in Berlin requesting me to put myself immediately into communication with you as the Director of the Museum of Natural History, in order that arrangements may be made for the installation of the reproduction of the Diplodocus which Mr. Carnegie desires to present to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Germany. From the letter of Staatsminister Dr. Holle I learn that it has been decided to place the Diplodocus in the Light-Court (Lichthof) of the Museum, but that it will be impossible to arrange for its installation before the spring of the coming year. I may say that we are very glad we were not summoned immediately to instal the reproduction, because we are exceedingly occupied with important labors, and it will take some time to prepare what is required for the installation of the great skeleton.



It is Mr. Carnegie's wish to defray in Berlin, as he defrayed in London, the entire cost of setting up the specimen, including the cost of the bases which are intended to support the same. I think the bases should be made in Berlin, and that this may be done I shall shortly send you under separate cover drawings showing the construction of these bases, and I shall ask you to select a competent firm of builders, if you have not such connected with the Museum, who will contract to build these bases of whatever material you may decide is best employed and which will harmonize with the surroundings. The bases which I had built in London by Cubitt & Co. were made out of mahogany, and this material, if you desire it, might again be employed. The bases are so constructed that the tops are put in place after the skeleton has been erected, and the finely polished wood surface thus is not exposed to injury. I think that there will be no difficulty in understanding what is desired by givng attention to the plans which I shall submit to you. The entire length of the specimen as it stands in our Museum, from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail, is approximately --------- meters in length. The head projects ---------- neters betibd tge fribt base,]



I am sending you a photograph which will convey to your mind some idea of how the matter is, and among these photographs is a photograph of the specimen which we have prepared for you, temporarily mounded.



I assure you that it will give me great pleasure, if health and strength permit, myself to come to Berlin accompanied by one of my skilful workmen, in order to personally attend to the setting up of this replica, which I trust you, on behalf of your august master and Emporor, will receive as a slight expression of the great good will which the people of the United States bear to your people whose blood has mingled so largely with that of ours, so that few Americans to-day whose ancestry dates back on the soil of the new world four or five generations are without a touch of German blood in their veins.



With assurances of the hightest esteeem and regard, I am,

Very sincerely yours,

Director