Modesta Gentile further papers, 1934-2008, together with the papers of Doris Manners-Sutton, 1865, 1889-1972

MLMSS 8021/Boxes 1-6
MLMSS 8021/Box 7X

fonds

1865-2008

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs

921449

1.0 metre of textual material and photographs (6 boxes, 1 outsize box) - manuscripts, typescript, clippings, photocopies and printed

Modesta Alexandra Gentile was born in Rome, Italy, in 1934, and
began her career as an actress on the stage in London in the 1950s. She migrated to Australia in 1960s. In 1965 Modesta joined the Sydney Film Festival where she worked as Assistant to the Director until her departure in 1977. She then began her career with The Australian Ballet as Peggy van Praagh’s assistant and went on to be Company Manager for The Dancers Company until her retirement in 1999.

Doris Manners-Sutton, writer, was born on 30 October 1894 at Woolwich, Sydney, second daughter of Harry Charles Dinham and Tasmanian-born wife Ida Margaret. In 1934 Doris married Salvatore Gentile, a Sicilian engineer, with whom she had two children, a daughter, Modesta and son Giulio. In 1970 she followed her children to New South Wales. She died on 16 May 1972 in Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney, and was buried with Methodist forms in the Anglican section of Botany Cemetery.

Reference:
Compiled from the collection
Australian Dictionary of Biography Online. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/
(accessed March 31, 2011)

BOX 1
Folder 1: Professional correspondence, 1948-2007
Mainly relating to employment in film and theatre, with school and dance school reports for 1950 and 1951, and including Modesta Gentile’s curriculum vitae. Correspondents include British Broadcasting Corporation, Warner Bros., Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Associated British Picture Corporation, Kent Education Committee, Sydney Film Festival, The Australian Ballet Foundation and Paddy Carstairs

Folder 2: Professional and personal correspondence, 1973-2004
Correspondents include Graham Shirley, Shirley McKechnie, The Dancers Company, Sydney Film Festival, Alan Pendlebury, Australian Ballet Society, Noel Pelly, Maina Gielgud and John O’Brien

Folder 3: Personal correspondence, 1951, 1965, 1974-2006
Correspondents include Robyn Nevin, Maina Gielgud, Bette Davis and Sydney Dance Company

Folder 4: Cards and letters to Modesta Gentile, together with papers relating to two of Graham Clarke’s etchings ‘Rickyard’ and Old Jack’, 1981-1993

Folder 5: Correspondence mainly with family and friends, with miscellaneous papers, 1958-2008, including annual report for Associated Newspapers Limited, 1973 ; issue of Talking Pointe Mar. 2008 including a tribute to Modesta Gentile by Kerry Cook. Correspondents include Giulio and Mary Gentile; and Ros Pesman regarding access to Doris Manners-Sutton literary manuscripts held at the State Library of NSW

Folder 6: Various cards, invitations and membership cards

Folder 7: Correspondence received by Modesta Gentile on her retirement in 1999

Folder 8: Farewell album from The Australian Ballet

BOX 2
Folder 1: Letters abd cards of condolence received by Giulio and Mary Gentile on the death of Modesta Gentile, 2008

Folder 2: Personal documents
Includes National Registration Identity Card; Certificate of Australian Citizenship, 1994, with letters relating to the approval of this application for citizenship; passports; diary, 1997; copy of Modesta Gentile’s Italian birth registration, 1934; Will and Enduring Guardianship document, 2008

Folder 3: Incomplete transcript of an unidentified interview with Modesta Gentile

Folder 4: Folder of contracts relating to personal management and performances 1951-1957

Folder 5: News clippings

Folder 6: Printed material and correspondence relating to ballet, dance and performing arts

Folder 7: Financial and taxation records, 1956-1998

Folder 8: 'The Hostess book', being a visitors' book, 1989-2004, and travel diary with entries for 1985, 2010

Folder 10: Address books (4) and photocopy of an address book, A-N; autograph books (2)

BOX 3
Folder 1: Personal and family documents, 1865-1963
Includes Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate and Last Will and Testament of Harry Charles Dinham; Certificate of Naturalisation for Modesta Gentile, 1964; publishing contract between Doris Manners-Sutton Dinham and Longmans Green & Co regarding her novel ‘Black God’, 1934

Folder 2: Correspondence of Doris Manners-Sutton, 1918-1940
Includes records of royalties from publishers; with news clippings relating to Doris Manners-Sutton and a copy of ‘All Souls Eve’ as published in The New State. Correspondents include photographer Eva Barrett, Ella McFadyen and Frank Lind

Folder 3: Correspondence of Doris Manners-Sutton between authorities and family and friends relating to immigration, 1945-1949

Folder 4: Correspondence of Modesta Gentile and her mother Doris Manners-Sutton, between each other and their correspondence with family and friends relating to the estate of H.C. Dinham; and including letters from Doris Manners-Sutton's literary agents Christy & Moore regarding the publishing of her work

Folder 5: Correspondence between Modesta Gentile and Doris Manners-Sutton, and their correspondence with family and friends, 1963-1972

BOX 4
Folder 1: Miscellaneous writings by Doris Manners-Sutton, and news clippings, including typescript of the play ‘The Resurrection’ and a photocopy of an article, ‘My life in Libya’, in The Outspan, 5 June 1936

Folder 2: Correspondence on matters relating to the estate of Doris Manners-Sutton, 1972-1975

Folder 3: Letters, cards and notes with personal documents of Doris Manners-Sutton, including notebook and diary, 1926; Carte D’Identite, 1928; passport, 1947; Banco Di Roma bank book, 1947; copy of the Last Will and Testament, 1972; with a book of postcards of Dinan, France and a small number of calling cards

Folder 4: Genealogy of the Dinham Family

Folder 5: Issues of The Studio, Mar. 1929, Sept. 1937

BOX 5
Folder 1: Books of study notes (5), 1950s, some titled Elocution, Drama and Poetry

Folder 2: Drama rehearsal notes, 1950s-1960s

Folder 3: Scripts by various playwrights, mainly incomplete, including ‘Electra’ and ‘The Files’, 1962

Folder 4: Poetry, possibly for recitation or training, 1950s

Folder 5: Writings submitted by Modesta Gentile to BBC Home Service for ‘Children’s Hour’, including ‘Canadian Christmas’, 1951

Folder 6: Tour notes including preparation and scheduling for The Dancers Company, 1980-2001

Folder 7: ‘The Log’, being a school yearbook, 1951, 1952

Scrapbook of news clippings, some loose, 1958-2000

Book of French language exercises, 1999-2000

‘Modesta Gentile: this is your life, with some of your friends at The Australian Ballet' by Nola & Wayne Sneddon, 1999, including captioned photographs

BOX 6
Album of snapshots, 1989-ca. 2003, including holidays, tours with The Australian Ballet, and family and friends

Albums (2) of postcards from Doris Manners-Sutton from around the world

Folder 1: Photographic portraits (6) of unidentified people, 1916-ca 1940s, one is signed ‘Sincerely Paul Anderson’, another of a young gentleman in army uniform is inscribed ‘May 1st ’16 Dick’; one by Eva Barrett Studio, Roma

Folder 2: Photographic portraits of Modesta Gentile and Doris Manners-Sutton by Eva Barrett Studio, Roma

Folder 3: Postcards, 1963, 1992-2000, chiefly from Modesta Gentile’s travels, addressed to Giulio and Mary Gentile; others are blank, with some cards and postcards received from friends

Folder 4: Miscellaneous photographs including images of Toowoomba, Qld, 1980s; photographs from The Australian Ballet tour of Israel, Athens and Istanbul, 1987; group photograph of The Australian Ballet, 1980s, with travel photographs belonging to Doris Manners-Sutton, including the Congo River; Derna, Libya; Agrigento, Palermo, Siracusa, Siena, Florence and Venice, 1930s

Celluloid photographic medallion of Doris May Dinham (Manners-Sutton), aged 7 years, 1901

BOX 7X
Photographs, 1950-1996, being publicity photographs of Modesta Gentile, 1950s-1960s, with characters from various theatre productions, including ‘Electra’; travel photographs of France, Bruges, Bruyelles and Antwerp, 1960s; Guernsey and London, 1967; Canberra, 1968-1969; and miscellaneous photographs, 1960s, 1971-1996, including photographs taken at the presentation of the ‘Great Performer Award’ to Modesta Gentile in 1990

English, Italian, French