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Tom Cain

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Buying the Lothian Portrait
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The (British) National Portrait Gallery have today launched an appeal to raise £1,652,000 ($2,936,347and 4cents) to buy the Lothian portrait of Donne, and have got 6 months to do so.


We all know this image, and it decorates just about every publication on Donne, but I imagine few of us (other than Kate Frost) have seen the original. This seems to me a wonderful, if brief, opportunity to get one of the greatest of all portraits of a poet into a gallery where it will be constantly available for the public to see. I'm not writing in the expectation that members will be able to make a big contribution, though together we could probably knock off the 4 cents. But some of you may have ideas of how substantial donations might be raised?


The appeal website is at http://www.npg.org.uk/live/prjohndonneappeal.asp, and a link there takes you to some information about American donors (http://www.npg.org.uk/live/donations/donation.asp).


I have emailed the Gallery about the timeliness of the conference this year, and it may be that they will be in touch.



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Susan Dykstra

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Yes, my British colleagues forwarded me the story from the Yahoo Entertainment News page.  Donne has hit the big-time if a story like this makes the front-page of such a rag!http://uk.news.yahoo.com/27012006/325/bid-buy-portrait-iconic-poet-donne.html

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Kate Frost

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I've suggested to Gene Cunnar that we might organize a quick mini-pledge drive through the Web site? It's the first thought that came to mind and, while it might not prove practical, perhaps it will stimulate some reponse.

KF


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Kate Frost

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Is the Web site given by Susan accurate?

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Eileen Abrahams

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Below is the address to which Americans can send donations:

Mr. Robert Donnalley
The American Friends of the National Portrait Gallery
40 Etti Lane, Unit 20
Greenwich, CT 06831



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Tom Cain

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During a rather dramatic session in the House of Commons yesterday (6th March; the Culture secretary is in danger of being forced to resign) there was a question about the importance of buying the Lothian portrait for the nation. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, it didn't get an answer. But it did mean that Donne climbed another few notches in public awareness.  Meanwhile, there doesn't appear to be any information on how the appeal is going. I was hoping for something like those huge thermometers you used to see outside churches, showing how much was still needed to restore the organ.

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susannah harris-wilson

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This bank holiday weekend I visited the National Portrait Gallery. The portrait is secured by the Gallery after both the Lottery and the Council for the Arts donated large sums and many individuals swelled the coffers. It is currently a part of an exhibition on Shakespeare's real and imagined likenesses. The actual painting is infinitely more striking than any of the reproductions I have seen. The news of the successful purchase made the morning news on just about all radio and tv. stations.

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