TYPED LETTER SIGNED by MINERALOGIST and VICE PRESIDENT OF TIFFANY'S GEORGE FREDERICK KUNZ to James B. Pond sorting out details as he will be serving on the reception committee for Maeterlinck's first American lecture and may be bringing his daughter. by Kunz, George Frederick. (1856-1932). American mineralogist and vice president of Tiffany & Co. where he sought out fine gems for his clients - 1919.

George Frederick Kunz [1856-1932], an American mineralogist and mineral collector, took an interest in minerals from a very young age. With no formal training he taught himself mineralogy from books and field work to the point where his expertise won him a job with Tiffany & Co. His knowledge and enthusiasm propelled him into a vice presidency by the time he was 23. He headed the U.S. mining and mineralogical exhibits at five international expositions between 1889 and 1904 and was a member of such professional organizations as the Mineralogical Society of America and the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers. He was a research curator at the New York City's Museum of Natural History and was the leading advocate for the establishment of the international carat as a unit of measure for precious gems.

James B. Pond, the American impresario and lecture agent who headed the J.B. Pond Lyceum Bureau, brought the great Belgian poet Maurice Maeterlinck to America for a series of lectures. The first lecture took place at Carnegie hall on January 2nd, 1920. Unfortunately Maeterlinck failed to carry out his intention to lecture in English because of his labored "phonetic" English. He declared his intention to continue his lectures in French and have the translation read by another person. As a result, the lecture tour was a failure and lawsuits ensued on both sides.