An encouraging father

The letters between Max and his daughters in Father to Daughter are too lovely and tender not to share. They give such insight into the lives of the family who called 26 Main home (at least on holidays) with the most charming hand drawn illustrations. Max would keep up correspondence with his girls while he remained in NYC to work and they spent time in their home in Windsor during summers and holidays. I think this quote in the introduction by the eldest daughter, Bertha Perkins Frotheringham, speaks volumes.

"Max Perkins was interested in all of his children and guided and encouraged us with out ever seeming to do so. It was not until I read Editor to Author for the first time, after his death, that I realized that he brought out the very best in his writers in exactly the same way the he encouraged us to do the very best we were capable of. John Hall Wheelock, in his introduction to Editor to Author, says, "the recognizing, the encouraging, the guiding of talent-this, in his opinion, was the sacred task worth any amount of effort, of risk, of time expended." He put the same time and effort into encouraging and guiding his daughters, each one according to her particular interests and talents."

Jane, Zippy, Bert, and Peggy about 1922

Nancy, age 12 in a dress designed and made by Peggy, 1938.

This illustration accompanied a letter written in 1916 while Max was guarding the Mexican border (a blog post here). It says, "This or This? Well I think it will be this" pointing to the girls. Does it get any sweeter? Nope.

We will occasionally share more of these tender communications between father and daughter that we have all come to appreciate as we learn more of Max and his family.

(all images scanned from the Father to Daughter)