MATA HARI: (1876-1917) Gertrud Margaretha Zelle being her real name. Dutch exotic Dancer, with stage name Mata Hari, who was convicted of being a spy working for Germany during World War I. She was executed by firing squad in Paris. A rare and excellent A.L.S., `Mata Hari´, four pages, 8vo, n.p., [Paris], 16th July [1908], on the Hotel Majestic, Paris, printed stationery, in French. Mata Hari asks her correspondent for some more money before her departure to Berlin, stating `Une femme est toujours quelque chose d'inconséquent, et voilà ce qui arrive. Je vois que mon argent ne me suffit pas pour tout payer avant mon depart, et si cela ne vous fait rien, je vous prie de partir avec 1000 fr. et de me redonner le reste sitôt à Berlin..´ (Translation: `A woman is always something inconsistent, and that's what happens. I see that my money is not enough for me to pay everything before my departure, and if you don't mind, please leave with 1000 francs and give me the rest back soon in Berlin..´)

Further Mata Hari explains that she intends to stay in Berlin for few weeks, forwarding her address `Berlin, Nachva str. 39´ and offers new photographies, saying `Voulez-vous avoir des photographies ? Je peux vous donner déjà beaucoup. Vous n'avez qu'à les faire prendre par 'Leo'´ (Translation: `Do you want to have photographies? I can already give you many. You only have to make them be collected by `Leo´´ )

 

Provenance, the present letter was part of the archive of Nicol Gerson´s correspondence, a French impresario who was Mata Hari´s artistic director.