Reference material. Re: Greece, 1953

Comprised primarily of correspondence and itineraries, this subseries documents 30 years of McIlhenny's worldwide travels, from Palm Beach to Bangkok, and often in the company of friends as well as members of his household staff. Approximate travel dates and destinations identify the first set of folders. Most readily apparent is that until 1985, McIlhenny spent his summers in Europe. From May through early October, he would divide his time between Glenveagh, his country estate in northern Ireland, and cities such as London, Venice, Rome and Madrid. By no later than 1967, McIlhenny also became a regular client to one of the health spas in Montecatini, Italy, where he'd take his annual cure. His earliest documented visit to a spa, however, was in 1957 when he stayed at Poggio Terme on the island of Elba. Almost every summer, McIlhenny also attended the music festival in Salzburg, Austria, as well as the Munich Opera Festival. Some of his European jaunts included two-week cruises on private yachts through the Greek Islands. Although his last summer in Europe was in 1984, McIlhenny's last time at Glenveagh was the previous year when he gifted the estate to the Irish government. The last two folders in this group pertain to trips McIlhenny was planning at the time of his death. The second set of folders pertains to the hotels, travel agencies and yacht rental companies McIlhenny used. The hotels represented here are the only ones documented through correspondence. Additional information can be found in the "Financial records" series, in the account books of the "Bookkeeping" subseries. Those records pertain to 1950 to 1972 expenses. The American Express invoices processed in the "Various" subseries of the "Other subject" series primarily reflect travel expenses, including hotel accommodations, from the fall of 1973 through the spring of 1986. The "Travel agent" folders consist of itineraries and invoices. It should be noted that this material documents trips in addition to those listed in the first set. The "Yacht rental" folders pertain to the summer Greek excursions. Material consists of correspondence, contracts, and photographs and drawings of the various boats for hire. The folders of the final set are identified by document type. Most are McIlhenny's passports, which illustrate over a thirty-year period the young to seasoned traveler.