Dutch-born dancer (1876–1917), née Margaretha Geertruida Zelle, whose renown as a dancer was permanently overshadowed by her activities as an Axis spy during World War I. After working as a model and circus performer, Zelle began performing as an “exotic” dancer in 1905 and changed her name to the more colorful Mata Hari. Her erotically charged performances and mysterious persona captured the imagination of audiences wherever she performed, and her charms were such that she attained a considerable reputation as a high-class courtesan whose “clients” included Europe’s political and military elite. After claiming to work as an intelligence agent for the French during World War I, she was unmasked as a double agent who used her relative ease of movement across international borders (as a “neutral” Dutch subject) to pass secrets to the Germans. Captured in her Paris hotel room on February 13, 1917, she was tried, convicted (despite inconclusive evidence against her), and executed by firing squad at the age of 41.
Elusive ALS in French, signed “Mata-Hari,” four pages on two adjoining sheets, 6 x 7.5, no date [circa 1905 or later]. Mata Hari writes to an unspecified gentleman. In part (translated): “Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for being so appreciative and for the book which I have already read and which came alive through my imagination and partly through remembrance. Mrs. Brisson begged me not to give too much of myself at the dance recital for the young and chaste girls who constitute the public of the ‘Annales’ and I did what she asked me to do. I would much rather dance in front of a hundred men than in front of two women. I don’t know why but I feel ill at ease, a feeling I do not otherwise experience…. Mostly the contact with the theater give them that attitude and that lack of respect that hurts me. Well, you know that these people have a mind of their own. They are moved by what leaves you cold and vice versa. I have taken to bed. I caught a slight cold last Saturday. Tonight I will be dancing after dinner at the Stella Club. My musicians will come at half past ten to the Palais d’Orsay. Respectfully yours….”
In very good to fine condition, with central mailing fold touching signature, short edge separation to first sheet, and a few tiny chips and tears to edges (just touching one word). The text is dark and clear throughout, and the letter presents very nicely. The visual appeal and dance-related subject matter add up to an exceptional example of a notable twentieth-century rarity! Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
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