Description
An extraordinary envelope containing 91 photocopies and typed transcriptions of original, previously unseen letters between Fidel Castro and his mistress Natty Revuelta Clews.
The importance of these letters cannot be overemphasised. They are catalogued and dated, and as such provide an astonishing history - not just of Natty's early relationship and life with Castro, but of Fidel Castro himself.
Many of these are passionate love letters.
These letters were predominantly exchanged while Castro was in prison between 1954 and 1955, following his failure to overthrow the Batista regime, and during Natty’s time in Paris in the early 1960s.
The whereabouts of the original letters is unknown. They are presumed lost. As such, this collection offers a unique opportunity to acquire previously unknown Castro correspondence, which broadens our understanding of Cuban history.
It’s thought Castro and Natty employed a code using a work by Rudyard Kipling as the key when sending some or all of these letters. (See lot 1). This warrants further research by the successful bidder of lot 25.
Complete list of the 91 letters
1953
29th December Castro to Natty
1954
2nd January Natty to Castro
2nd January Castro to Natty
3/5 January Natty to Castro
5th January Castro to Natty
7th January Castro to Natty
10th January Castro to Natty
11th January Castro to Natty
11th to 13th January Natty to Castro
15th January Castro to Natty
16th January Natty to Castro
18th January Natty to Castro
19th January Castro to Natty
20th January Castro to Natty
22nd January Natty to Castro
23rd January Castro to Natty
24th January Castro to Natty
25th January Natty to Castro
26th January Natty to Castro
26th January Castro to Natty
27th January Castro to Natty
28th January Natty to Castro
28th January Castro to Natty
31st January Castro to Natty
6th February Natty to Castro
8th February Castro to Natty
9th February Castro to Natty
12th February Castro to Natty
13th February Natty to Castro
14th February Natty to Castro …
1955
15th to 17th February Natty to Castro
23rd February Natty to Castro
27th February Castro to Natty
27th February Natty to Castro
1st March Castro to Natty
3rd March Natty to Castro
5th March Castro to Natty
5th March Natty to Castro. We believe Castro's secret compartment cigar box was used to send this letter
7th March Natty to Castro
8th March Castro to Natty
8-11th March Castro to Jeque
11th March Castro to Natty
13th March Natty to Castro
14th March Castro to Natty
16th March Natty to Castro
18th March Castro to Natty
19th March Natty to Castro
22nd March Castro to Natty
24th March Castro to Natty
24th March Natty to Castro
25th March Castro to Natty
27th March Natty to Castro
28th March Castro to Natty
31st March Castro to Natty
1st April Natty to Castro
2nd April Castro to Natty
4th April Castro to Natty
11th April to Castro to Natty
14th April Natty to Castro
15th April Castro to Natty
19th April Natty to Castro
21st April Natty to Castro
22nd April Natty to Castro
23rd April Natty to Castro
26th April Natty to Castro
27th April Castro to Natty
30th April Natty to Castro
2nd May Castro to Natty
3rd May Natty to Castro
5th May Natty to Castro
6th May Natty to Castro
14th May Castro to Natty
Letter for Natty in a letter to Lidia in June or July 1954
3rd September 4 letters found sent using the cigar box
18th September For Natty in letter from Castro to Lidia
15th October PS for Natty in letter to Lidia
1st December Castro to Natty
5th December PS in letter to Lidia for Natty
13th December Castro letter to his sister to give to Natty
14th December Natty to Castro
23rd December Castro to Natty
30th December Natty to Castro
Later letters
Letter from Natty to Castro on 4th November 1964 from Paris
Letter From Castro to Natty 4th March 1964
Letter to Castro from Natty (year unknown)
Letter sent to Castro by Natty from France (year unknown)
Natty letter explaining who took part in the 26th July attack, especially concerning a brother and sister who took part and what they did. Both were killed
Letter from Natty to Castro on Friday 12th (year unknown)
The collection of letters is housed in an envelope (see photo). The envelope contains several sticky notes in Natty's handwriting.
Due to the sensitive nature of this collection of letters, full details are available upon request only.
Purchase information
Please note, we cannot accept returns on this item.
Provenance
Acquired by the previous owner at the estate sale of Fidel Castro's mistress Natty Revuelta Clews, between December 2015 and July 2016.
The previous owner is British businessman Mr Gary Shannon, who knew the Castro family and their associates for 20+ years from circa 2000. Mr Shannon helped provide technology and communications infrastructure to Cuba.
The item formed part of Mr Shannon’s private Jagdamer Museum of Castro and Guevara memorabilia, from 2016 to 2020.
Natty Revuelta Clews (December 26, 1925 – February 27, 2015) was the mistress of Fidel Castro from 1955 until her death. Their daughter, Alina, was born in 1956.
Revuelta - a wealthy socialite - was instrumental in assisting Castro overthrow the Batista regime in Cuba.
Revuelta sold her jewels to support the Cuban rebels, helped plan the 26th of July Movement uprising in 1953 and, crucially, helped Fidel Castro co-ordinate the Cuban Revolution while he was imprisoned between 1953 and 1955, through exchanging secret messages with Castro.
The pair began their affair upon Castro’s release from prison in May 1955.
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