Dear friends,

I am Marzia from Cefalá, Sicily.

I think that I am too young for you to consider my life interesting: I am 23 years old and I study law. But I want to tell you about a real dreamer's life: the one of my uncle Aurelius Battaglia. He spent in Provincetown last years of his life. He was friend of Del Deos, too.

He was born in 1910 from Giuseppe and Concetta Mary, who emigrated from Cefalá to Washington DC in early 1900.

He graduated from Corcoran Art school of Washington Dc. In 1934 Public Work of Art Works Administration commissioned him the murales of Mount Pleasant Branch Library. He worked in Walt Disney's studios from 1937 to 1941. In 1940 he drew Mickey Mouse. He was drewer and writer of Pinocchio (1940), and drawer of Dumbo (1941).

From December 1956 to March 1957 he worked for PA ( Gerald Mc boing boing show).

He was illustrator of many books for children published by Random House and Merrigold Press (NY). He illustrated also a book of American songs with arrangements by Norman Lloyd.

He spent in Provincetown the second half of his life. He chose it because it was a place of artist and original people. He died in Provincetown on 05-22-1984.

I hope this story will interest you. I think so!

My favourite hobby is genealogy and my "mission" is searching news about Aurelius and telling all the world what marvellous man he was.

If you want to visit my website with a section on Aurelius: www.marziacristina.too.it.!

I send you a photo of my drawing that has title " Bay at the end of Cook St." It represents ny uncle Aurelius and his friend Eleanor (whom I knew by a lettter correspondence that lasts 3 years; she also lived in provincetown and she was a marvellous artist and a special woman) while they are looking at the sea in a winter's day.

The photo is not too good, but I hope to send you a zerox of my work by mail, if you are interested.

I have something else to tell you... I will write you in my next email. Thank you, it's very important for me speak about Provincetown because I have never seen it, but it makes me dream.

Marzia