Eero Saarinen and Astrid Sampe had a personal relationship in the early 1950s, as documented in his correspondence to her. These letters show the interrelation of Eero’s personal and professional life and give insight into Eero’s mindset and work process. The letters are in English and Finnish (untranslated). These letters should be read in conjunction with the letters from the Astrid Sampe Collection of Eero Saarinen Correspondence (1995-87) and the Archives of American Art, Aline and Eero Saarinen Papers, 1857-1972 held at the Smithsonian Institution.

The most significant item in the collection is a drawing of the MIT Chapel from a “train letter’ in 1952. The drawing shows the interior and exterior of the chapel with a simulation of the water reflections from the moat surrounding the building into the building on the recto of the letter. On the verso, a beautiful perspective rendering shows the skylight streaming onto the altar. Another significant letter details Eero’s perspectives of psychotherapy, which he underwent in 1952.