453. THOMAS HART BENTON (1889-1975) American painter known for his realistic portraits of people and life in the Midwest, including "Cotton Pickers" and "Homestead". Fine group of eight A.L.S. "Tom", 9pp. total, 4to., Kansas City and Martha's Vineyard, 1951-68, most on his personal letterhead, all written to noted columnist Leonard Lyons, writer of the popular column "The Lyon's Den". Some excellent content, in part: "...There is going to be a reissue of my 'An Artist in America' with an added chapter...The story I wrote for you involves a character in an early chapter of the book and I want to retell it...Tell [Broadway producer] Billy Rose...I'm not interested in buying but rather in selling Benton pictures at realistic process...I am returning to the midwest for an expedition up to the headwaters of the Missouri River...I am going to follow up the trail of Lewis and Clark. The Army engineers are furnishing transportation, guides, etc. After that...I shall go to the headwaters of Green River in Wyoming for a look at some of the haunts of the old time fur traders and trappers...On Jan. 30th I had a 'stroke' and 2 weeks later a major heart attack...I can do nothing now but read and write...I must prepare a last, and final, chapter for my old book 'An Artist in America' which is to be reissued...I am...doing OK and am back at work-mostly writing...Billy Rose's painting [Benton's "Cotton Weighing", which he had considered buying back] did come up for auction at Park-Bernet's...Billy, as you know, paid $3,000 for it in 1939 or 40. At the auction it...resold for $35,000. So I should have encouraged you to buy 'Bentons' at 1930 prices...Maybe this is happening because people think I am near to turning up my toes...I was in New York City...working on the old mural paintings at the New School...I have a retrospective exhibition coming up...this is the first time since 1945...but I won't show up...Two of the pictures go back to my Paris days of 1909 and '10. It is a six decade exhibition!...I can walk miles in the Ozark hills but once around a cocktail table and I'm pooped..." Very good. Sold with two photo postcards of two of his paintings with greetings on verso penned by his wife Rita. Benton's journey to the headwaters of the Missouri served as research for his 1965 landscape "Lewis and Clark at Eagle Creek". A fine historic archive! $1,000-1,500