SINCERELY YOURS – letters from the collection

spanish democracy CLUB

Click image to see full photo.

VIEW TRANSCRIPT OF LETTER

Broadsheet for José Cansino and Tonia de Aragon’s performance at Eaton Auditorium, Toronto, 1935 (Alison Sutcliffe Collection). Click image to see full photo.
Canadian dancers were no strangers to using dance to raise funds for various charitable causes. 

Benevolent performances were a frequent occurrence across Canada during both World Wars. In the following thank-you letter from the Spanish Democracy Club, we see that Alison Sutcliffe participated in just such a performance. Based on the date and the charity, it is likely the group was raising funds connected to the Spanish Civil War. Sutcliffe trained in Spanish dance during her time in New York City, primarily with the Cansino family, and again overseas in the 1930s with Elsa Brunelleschi. (Letter from Alison Sutcliffe Collection)

Elsa Brunelleschi, c. 1935 / Photo: Reprograph Studio (Alison Sutcliffe Collection). Click image to see full photo.
SINCERELY YOURS – letters from the collection

transcript

Apr. 19, 1938

Miss Sutcliffe,
34 Tyndall St.
Toronto, Ont.

Dear Miss Sutcliffe:

The Spanish Democracy Club wishes to convey to you the warmest thanks for your kind co-operation in making our function of April the 8th, the success it was.

It is the intention of the club to organize similar functions in the future for the same charitable purpose and we hope that your valuable service will be available again.

We are enclosing one dollar ($1.00) for your accompanist as we promised, as a token to show in a very small way our appreciation of her valuable service.

Thanking you once more for your service, we remain,

Yours very truly,
Mary Somales
Corr. Secretary

F. Artiz
Secretary