Mr. David's Oddsson's notes from a meeting august 5th 1982.
These are notes from the meeting held at the mayor's office when Baldur's Gudlaugsson's (the attorney for the family) report gets to the City of Reykjavik. It is obvious this report is taken very seriously. The Prime Minister, the City lawyer and the head of Kjarvalsstadir (the City museum) would not meet like this unless they thought this to be for real.
Notes.
(Typewritten)About a meeting at the mayor's office (the City of Reykjavik) 5th of august 1982.Present were beside me (The Mayor, Mr. David Oddsson and later Primeminister). Geir Hallgrimsson (the prime minister and former mayor of the City of Reykjavik), Mr. Jón G. Tómasson, (the city lawyer) and Mr. Alfreð Guðmundsson the head of Kjarvalsstaðir (the City Museum Kjarvalsstadir).The reason for this meeting was that the inheritors of the the late painter Mr. Johannes S. Kjarval and the inheritors of the late Mr. Sveinn Kjarval (the son of the painter) have with the help of Mr. Guðmundur from Klausturhólum retained help of an attorney, to show the City of Reykjavik did not get the paintings and drawings the city considerd a gift from Mr. Kjarval, but that the aged painter asked the city to store these works. Mr. Geir Hallgrimsson said these paintings and drawings had been given over to him by Kjarval Nov. 7th 1968, and in his mind (Mr. Geir's Hallgrimsson's) there was no doubt this was a gift to the City of Reykjavik, without any conditions but the City repair the works and show them in City Buildings. At that point Kjarval was starting to belive the Museum of Kjarvalsstaðir would be built and these works could be there. Mr. Hallgrimsson (then Mayor in 1968, later the Primeminister) said: as far as he remembered Mr. Sveinn Kjarval had thanked him personally for taking these paintings with these conditions. Quite a time before, friends of Mr. Kjarval had contacted him, Mr. Alfreð Guðmundsson and Mr. Jón Þórsteinnsson etc. and complained about the lonlines of Mr. Kjarval and that people went and used his lonlines to get money and valuables from him. He would not be happy anywhere but at Hótel Borg. Mr. Hallgrimsson then decided with the agreement of the city councel to rent a room at Hotel Borg where Kjarval lived for considerable time at the cost of the City. The city lawyer thought all proof in this Case would lie on the inheritors, not the least would weigh heavy their lack of interest, because they had not done anything for almost ten years, but their attorney would build his case on that the City’s time limit did not begin until 1973 when Mr. Birgir Isl. Gunnarsson then Mayor held his speech at the opening of the Museum of Kjarvalsstaðir, that being the first time officially in print the City had been given all these works. In this meeting, attention was drawn to the catalog that show’s this openingi where in is the Mayor’s speech, and in this catalog is a text by Laxness (the Icelandic writer and Nobel pricewinner), he writes Kjarval gave these works. Somehow, this famous friend of Kjarval had known about this. This most likely Mr. Baldur Guðlaugsson (the familie's attorney) must have missed. Secondly, there is a catalog where it is noted the works given by Mr. Kjarval are being shown, and in the comity for this show is seated Mr. Johannes Kjarval junior who was responsible for this catalog(not true). It was decided Mr. Geir would try to contact Mr. Ragnar in Smári who is in the hospital and also Mr. Halldór Laxness, to get this confirmed. In the end it was decided the city lawyer would contact Mr. Baldur Guðlaugsson to find out what documents he had, and also to find out what documents where in the City Document Library. (in David´s handwriting) Mr. Davið Oddsson
(Below written in hand by Mr. David Oddsson)
Meeting Sept. 20. 1982. Me and Mr. Baldur Guðlaugsson are in agreement all the documents that are likely to be found, are found. Mr. Gudlaugsson said he would tell his clients at what stage the case was, and then inform the City of Reykjavik.
D. O. (Mr. Davidsson's intials.)