An important autograph letter signed "Vera Strav[insky], from the wife of the important composer to the violinist with whom he frequently performed and for whom he wrote his Violin Concerto (1931) and the Duo Concertante (1932). Autograph letter and envelope in ink by Vera de Bosset (Bose) Stravinsky, to Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Dushkin, the return address being the first Stravinsky home in California at 124 South Swall Drive, Beverly Hills, California and written in French about six months after Vera's marriage to Igor. With highly interesting content. Together with the associated typed 1940 letter to Igor Stravinsky, signed Ernst Meyer regarding raising money to bring Erich Itor Kahn (German composer of Jewish decent, 1905-1956), then interred in France as an enemy alien, to the United States; AND WITH a carbon copy further enclosed, again concerning raising money to free Erich (Erich Itor Kahn) and bring him and his wife to the United States.

Vera Stravinsky's letter translated in full: "My dear friends –What is happening with you?! It has been so long since we have had any news from you. We continue to lead our very Hollywoodish life and are sometimes very tired of all the people who one sees, from the heat and all sorts of worries one has these days. The letters we have from France are very courageous but make us very sad.
They are all still alive but the famine is awful and they are without joy. Theodore writes us regularly and it is he who has arranged his life very reasonably: they have rented in a village in Garonne a little home with a garden, chickens and rabbits, all well reserved for the winter and seem to love this sort of a life. Nini is still in Nevers and it is only Milene who had news of her when she went for some hours to Vichy (with a pass probably).  
We went for a week to San Francisco and saw Darius Milhaud and his wife, who gave us much exciting news from our common friends. 
I'm sending you a letter that Igor received recently. It concerns helping this poor Kahn, who is in a concentration camp. You probably received a similar one. Unfortunately, we cannot do much, because all the money Igor had in London is blocked, and the modest money he earns here is barely enough for our living and the help he intends to give to his children. Still wanting to help Kahn, he suggests that you gather a little money around you and add this modest check of $5 made out in your name. Provided that the name of Stravinsky does not appear on the list of this collection. 
I hope you are all doing well and that the baby is becoming prettier and prettier. We look forward to seeing you in December in N.Y.  - We are leaving here around 1 November for Chicago, where the concert will be on November 7th. We don't know yet which hotel we will stay at, but if you write to Stoes, he will forward the letters to us: Paul M. Stoes 119 West 57 St. N.Y.  Is it serious what you told us about Beveridge, and what lies ahead for the marriage? Should we write to him? What do you think about it, is it official? 
We both send you our love, and see you in December."

The letter from Mayer translated in full: "Mr. Stravinsky, Enclosed please find a copy of a letter I recently received from Dr. Nahum Glatzer, 1453 East 56th Street, Chicago, 11th Street. I have been friends with Erich Itor Kahn for almost 20 years, and his fate has deeply affected me. Erich wrote to me some time ago that he had been working on a piano reduction for you. Therefore, I am turning to you for advice and assistance. In my opinion, the best solution would be to bring Erich and his wife here as soon as possible, outside of the quota system. In any case, I thank you very much for your efforts and interest and would be glad if you could help. I would also like to take this opportunity to tell you that one of my fondest musical memories was the performance of your "Noces" in Frankfurt am Main under Hermann Scherchen; I sang in the choir at that time. With best regards, Ernst Mayer"

An accomplished pianist and silent film actress, Vera also played the Queen in Diaghilev's 1921 revival of "The Sleeping Beauty" in London and in the mid-1920's, designed and made costumes for some of Diaghilev's other productions. She was also an interesting artist, who exhibited extensively and produced a remarkable series of gouache watercolors, following her husband's death in 1971.

Stravinsky remembered the late 1930's as his unhappiest years: while the family was living in Paris, both his wife and daughter fell victim to tuberculosis, and Stravinsky himself was ill for many months. However, it was also during this time that he began to make strong connections with the musical world of the US, and would eventually immigrate there in 1939. One of his American connections and close friends was Dushkin, with whom he and his second wife maintained a close relationship for many years.