A Letter from Patricia Nixon, 1972

September Day, painted at Tomales Bay, 1951, oil on canvas, 28 x 36 inches. The light near the ocean is different, Otis told his students, but he caught the mood of one of his favorite scenic spots. Tomales Bay is still as it was then, thanks to the efforts of farsighted community leaders.

THE WHITE HOUSE August 8, 1972 Dear Mrs. Hartley: I deeply appreciate your kindness in favoring me with the appropriately framed landscape, "September Day," which George Demont Otis created as a gift for his wife on the occasion of her birthday in 1951. This work, which depicts so realistically the scenic beauty of California, is being enjoyed by all our family and will be a most meaningful addition to the Nixon Presidential Library. The two paintings by your uncle which you have generously loaned to the White House indeed are a fitting tribute to this American artist who so loved his country and its natural settings. Please know that "Grain Time" and "Muir Woods Creek" will be greatly treasured and surely admired by all who see them. Again, with gratitude for your generosity and with warm best wishes to you and your family, Sincerely,  - Patricia Nixon