Evelyn Ahrend's letter to Marcelene Peterson, dated 10 June 1939

Evelyn Ahrend, head of the Programmes Office of the Spanish Refugee Relief Campaign (an aid and fund-raising association for Spanish exiles created during the Spanish Civil War) apologises to Marcelene Peterson of the Motion Picture Artists’ Committee (an organisation set up to fight fascism and to support the Republican cause, and the organisation hosting the Guernica by Picasso exhibition in Hollywood) for having previously been unable to inform her of the situation regarding the tour due to the interest shown by different cities and the ensuing schedule changes. She also informs her of different issues related to the exhibition, for instance the organisers’ responsibility to Picasso regarding any possible deterioration to the painting, the beneficiaries of the funds raised (Spanish intellectuals exiled in France), the need to provide the artist with regular updates on the exhibition, the advance payment of 2,000 dollars, to be recovered through the income generated, and the interest in unveiling the show on 1 August to fit in with the rest of the tour. She also suggests making mention of the Artists’ Congress and the work carried out in the exhibition and acknowledges the importance of bringing the show to Hollywood in terms of publicity and fund-raising. She concludes the letter by touching on the huge reaction to the exhibition in New York and the profits it has made, before offering catalogues and information on publicity and fund-raising methods based on her experience, in addition to setting a date and confirming the advance payment.