100 years ago Mata Hari faced the firing squad as a convicted Dutch spy It was at this moment that the legend of Mata Hari the seductive spy was born Newlydiscovered documents cast doubt on her guilt and reveal startling truths about her life Mata Hari was a selfmade woman whose boldness and sexuality threatened the male establishment Most of what weve known about her until now has largely been myth Mata Haris challenges as an abused wife single mother and a creative independent woman are familiar to women around the world At the turn of the century her struggles to attain sexual freedom artistic expression and liberation from the constraints of conventional society are the same ones women face today She graced the cover of Vogue performed all over Europe and left a coterie of smitten admirers in her wake
