This letter gives glimpses from a Nobel laureate's visit to Sweden for the Nobel Week. The letter was posted in January 1978 by the recent physics laureate John Van Vleck and his wife Abigail to their friend Marjorie Cary. It says that they haven't had time to send any Christmas cards in December due to their trip to Europe. Instead, they chose to write a long letter about their experiences before and during the trip. They recount how hard it was to find the right clothes, the intense media attention, and the well-planned programme of events apart from the award ceremony and the banquet, including lectures, receptions, dinners and a Lucia procession.
Similar letters were sent to several of their friends and acquaintances, but a couple of additions about airlines in this letter were made because the recipient Marjorie Cary worked for an airline.
The letter was donated to the Nobel Prize Museum by Marjorie Cary's niece, Marjorie Morrissey in 2024.
