A letter from Professor Harold C. De Winter

Harold C. De Winter, PhD
Department of Archaeology
Miskatonic University, Arkham, Mass.



February 24, 1925


Dear Mr. Pollack,

As you may have noticed from the letterhead, I have been given a new position at Miskatonic University following the tragic affairs surrounding Professor Wyndham during the spring of 1923. Please do understand that I was most saddened by the course of events, and that I now only feel remorse for harboring years of resentment against Professor Wyndham. Yet, I am pleased to be back at the Department of Archaeology, and I intend to honor the legacy of Professor Wyndham by working twice as hard as previously.

My most recent project came about last November, after half a week of particularly heavy rains had hit parts of New England. A friend and colleague of mine was handed a strange stone statuette of sorts (please find an attached photograph of the object!), and he was told that a local farmer had found this in a waterlogged field on his property. My colleague, who works at a local museum, did conduct a most preliminary survey of the location of the find, and he is positive that there may be an old Indian burial ground or something else, perhaps of ceremonial importance, to be found there. It is odd, though, since I am not aware of any Indian settlements at this particular location (do not worry, I will share the exact location in a not too distant future!), but then, the past is an obscure place, and we really know very little of what transpired in pre-Columbian times.

Therefore, I am reaching out to you after having heard some rumors regarding your experiences dealing with strange archaeological finds in exotic locations. I can assure you that the location is not exotic, but I feel that the knowledge and experience of yourself, Dr. McNamara, Ms. Baker, Mr. Lake and Mr. Chester would be most beneficial to surveying the location. I am considering a preliminary survey during the first or second week of March, to be followed by a proper dig at some point in late April of 1925. Besides the potential interest of the actual dig and survey, I am confident that I will be able to provide room and board, not too mention adequate mention and exposure of the name of J. Pollack Fine Antiques in Miskatonic U. events and publications.

Most sincerely yours,

De Winter

Dr. Harold Charles de Winter is newly re-appointed professor at Miskatonic University. He is known to be a notorious crank, although it is said that he has mellowed quite a bit recently. Even his foes admit that he is an outstanding scholar, especially regarding New England’s early and pre-Columbian history. He was removed from Miskatonic for several years after a commission of inquiry found him engaged in unethical practices, and it deserves to be mentioned that professor Wyndham was the deputy chair of the commission.