Beschreibung:

Dolin (Sir Anton, 1904-1983). An important archive of letters, programmes, photographs, etc., collected by Dolin’s friend the painter and charity worker Lady Eleanor Campbell-Orde, comprising approximately 260 autograph letters signed (‘Patrick’) and twenty postcards, greetings cards and telegrams, circa 1935-83, various lengths from short to lengthy mostly sent from various places in Britain and North America, referencing his ballet work and programmes, talking of mutual friends, health, travel arrangements and hopes for meetings, initially addressing her as Eleanor and, later, Ely, written in a clear hand and often on hotel stationery, the majority of stamped and postmarked envelopes retained (initially address to Miss Eleanor Watts, and from 1938 as Lady Eleanor Orde), together with two autograph letters signed from Poppy [Poppea Vanda, ballet fan and supporter of Anton Dolin, d. 1957], both dated 1936 and sent to Eleanor giving a penetrating character analysis of Dolin and hoping that Eleanor will be able to be a good friend of his, 5 pp. on five sheets, 4to, plus a scrapbook containing approximately thirty letters and related ephemera, circa 1930s/1940s, the majority letters of gratitude to Anton Dolin from various organisations and including two typed letters signed by Noel Coward (one simply ‘Noel’), all taped in at margins and mostly to rectos only, contemporary cloth with spine tie, some corner wear, 4to, plus approximately 200 programmes and souvenir brochures (including a few duplicates), many relating to Ballets Russes and the Dolin and Markova Company, notably one programme for Ballets Russes performance at Royal Opera House 24, July 1935 with the printed cabaret programme insert signed to blank verso by nine of the company’s artistes, Leonide Massine, David Lichine, Alexandra Danilova, Irina Baronova, Tatiana Riabouchinska, Tamara Toumanova, Eugenie Delarova, Yurek Shabelevsky and one other, plus approximately forty b & w photographs including publicity photos of Dolin (two signed and inscribed ‘For Ely from Patrick’), Alicia Markova and six of Massine in suit and tie, plus a small quantity of related autographs and letters, mostly relating to Dolin’s silver jubilee in 1948. Sir Anton Dolin (real name Sydney Francis Patrick Chippindall Healey Kay), ballet dancer, was born in Slinfold, Sussex on 27 July 1904. He appeared under the name Patrikeeff in Diaghilev’s production of ‘The Sleeping Princess’ in 1921. He appeared for the first time as Anton Dolin at the Royal Albert Hall in the ‘Anglo-Russian Ballet’ in 1923. He left Diaghilev in 1925 and then undertook engagements in England. In 1927 he founded the first English ballet company and, the following year, rejoined Diaghilev in Monte Carlo. During the 1930s Dolin appeared in the new Vic-Wells ballet. In 1935 he and Alicia Markova founded their own ballet company with Bronislava Nijinska as the ballet mistress and Dolin as director and first soloist. The company lasted until 1937. He continued to dance and teach up until his death in Paris on 25 November 1983. His last letter in this archive is dated 18 July 1983. Lady Eleanor Campbell-Orde (nee Watts) was born in 1908, married Sir Simon Campbell-Orde in 1938 and died in 1996. The correspondence here reflects a close friendship that lasted from the time that Dolin created the Markova and Dolin company in 1935 and runs near-continuously until 1983, but with few letters written in the final decade. Provenance: From the family of Eleanor Campbell-Orde. (an archive)