Dresden, Germany

Oct 20, 1889

Evangelical Vereins House

15 neu Gasse

Dresden Railway Staion– Impressive monument to civic pride

Dear Mother & Father,

Here I am after having visited galleries and seem so many  paintings that I’ve wanted to see, and stood before paintings that the whole world wonders at. It has bee a week full of delightful experiences. The Dresden Galleries we spent two days in, Friday and Saturday, and Tuesday and Wednesday in the Berlin Galleries.  I have seen so much that I hardly know what to tell you in the few pages I can write to-day.  We have endeavored to live very cheaply, and where we have saved on meals we have put in photographs of these paintings.  We are going to church now, so I must stop for the present.

I have just come from church.  It is a most glorious day- clear sky, bright warm sunlight.  The Eng. Church we attended is the finest I’ve been in in Germany.  It was lovely – The service was somewhat different from the one in Hannover – The music was better and more of the service was chanted.

The most beautiful picture picture that we have seen is in t;he Dresden Gallery, “The Sistine Madonna” by Raphael, so called from the chapel for which it was originally painted.  This picture is placed in a room alone, and is wonderfully beautiful.  The delicate

Raphael’s “Sistine Madonna”

coloring is exquisite- is indescribable. The picture represents the virgin just appearing from heaven with the child in her arms-  The curtains of heaven are thrown back, and she appears the central figure;  and without the curtains on either side is St. Barbara and St. Sextus.  Her eyes are full of deep wonder and astonishment – and a world of love and rapture is expressed in St. Barbara’s face.

It is all very lovely-  How I wish you could see it.  But so long as you can not – The next best thing is to have a picture of it.  I have one which I will either send or bring home with me.

We have seen a great many other beautiful paintings.

Ruben’s “Saint Cecelia” is most beautiful:

“Saint Cecelia” by P.P. Rubens

Fra Angelico’s  “The Last Judgement”

“The Last Judgement” by Fra Angelico

Raphael’s “Madonna,” and another by Murillo,

One of many murillo’s “Madonnas”

as well as “Madonnas” by other celebrated artists.   Many of the

pictures are several hundred yrs. old, yet are in perfect condition.

Yesterday Miss Swan and I each bought a bit of Dresden ware- We did not wish to leave Dresen without a small piece of the noted china.  We each took a small pickle dish or a dish for cards or bonbons- anything so nice can be used in any way one wishes.  Our dinner each day cost us a little over 15 cents — breakfast and supper together not more than 13-14 cent- – So you see that our three meals a day don’t exceed 30 cents — rather cheaper than one can live in America,  is it not?

For ou room here in Dresden- we, Miss Swan and I, pay 37 cents apiece — so you can see altho’ we are living in Dresden we re not laying out much money on our room & board.  Our room is on the third floor and is very good.  We have each a nice comfortable bed;  in the room are two upholstered chairs, a stove — the porcelain kind one finds in Germany which comes nearly to the ceiling and when white tile  are somewhat sepulchral in effect.; an upholstered sofa; a round table; a marble topped wash stand with two bowls– a mirror and and stand underneath — a stand near the bed for candles and to rugs before out beds and a large convenient writing desk at which I am writing.

We left our rooms recently to go to the station to look up the place we must go in the morning on our way to Leipsig.  We went over what is called the Brake Terrace.  It is a terrace built near the Elbe and commands a beautiful view of the mountains.  Dresden is situated in what is called the Saxony Switzerland, and is surrounded by mt. and the suburbs are said to be beautiful tho’ we have not had time to go much our of the city.  The next time I come to Europe I think I shall visit the ‘Bastei’ a place on the mt not far from here , and where one can obtain a charming view.  I shall also go to Potsdam, the suburbs of Berlin which contains the Summer palace of the Emperor – and the San Soussi Palace which is beautifully adorned with row upon row of terraces.  But for everything we the time nor money.

The Berlin Gallery is very large, and contains a very find collection of casts and paintings.  The0′ not so many celebrated ones as are in the Dresden Gallery.  In Berlin are three large galleries.  Two are connected and are beautiful buildings.  The interior of these galleries are made so beautiful with mural(wall) painting- carving, stone columns -etc., that it almost detracts  from the paintings. The Berlin Gallery was free – The Dresden was not Friday and Saturday on account of the cleaning going on we were obliged to pay 1 mark (25 cents) and a half = 37i/2 cents each day.  The city of Berlin is much more resplendent that Dresden.  ‘Unter den Linden,’ one of the finest streets in Europe is in Berlin.  We went up and down the stores on wither side of t;heis street in the middle of which were two rows of trees and a walk between.  The street is lighted with Three rows of electric lights – one through the middle of the row of trees.  The store windows are certainly bewitching.  I’ve never seen any  so fine.  The most beautiful fruit,some that I did not even know the name of.  We visited all the most important places.  One of the most interesting was t;he palace of William I, the second Emperor before the present Emperor.  You remember that he died when he was about 90 yrs, and was succeeded by Frederick William who reigned only 99 days and died from throat trouble.  His wife I saw in  Berlin, who has  a castle of her own.  In front of all castles and public royal buildings guards are stationed which as very impressing in appearance.  I start to tell you that we visited the palace of William I.  It is shown to the public, and many of the art treasures which William I had collected during his long reign we saw his writing desk; the chair in which he sat; all t;he little ornaments and keepsakes on the desk as he left them; his living room; reception room; private dining room; grand reception dining room ; and many other state rooms. In one room some of the tables & furniture were of malachite; gold & silver ornament- pictures of his family from childhood upwards.  One room a sort  of ball room was almost circular and repeated a word sound spoken 25 times- we saw beautiful cut glass; silver plate and many presents given to Emperor William by the sovereigns of Europe.  Everything was lovely and we also visited the Hohenzollern Museum – where we saw rooms devoted to the Hohenzollern Family.  the surname of the German Emperor.  I saw the cradle in which Emperor William lay, also the one in which Frederich the Great was rocked.  We saw the the clothes of Frederick the Great during different periods of his life from a wee baby;

The dinner sets of the different Emperors – their family pictures and rooms devoted to the different Emperors and wives.  It was all very interesting and we only regretted that we didn’t have time to look through the collection more carefully.  Berlin is beautifully adorned with marble and bronze statues and beautiful building of stone –  many with carving of stone and adorned with beautiful statues.  Berlin is a beautiful,- indeed, a magnificent city.  It would require a book to describe all I saw.

So- to-morrow we start early for Leipsig- at 8.30 where we shall stay a few hours, and then go on to Hannover, where we shall probably arrive about nine of ten in the evening.  We have just finished our modest supper- and now I have a few words to write to Miss Bell, my satchel to pack and then to bed.  This is a very unsatisfactory letter- I have tried three different pens, but find none that works well. I hope to write a better letter when I reach H.- The greatest trouble is this time that I have so many things to write that I know not where to begin my dear ones, good night.  I hope to find a letter waiting me in Hannover.  I burned the edge of this letter over a German Dresden lamp trying to dry my letter having no blotter with me.  This paper I bought in Dresden, it was very cheap.  I send you much love- dear Mother & Father-  be happy, and write me everything.

your loving daughter

Harriett E. R.