We assoÂciate Ernest HemÂingÂway with forÂeign locales: Spain, Italy, Paris, Africa and Cuba. He may be the definÂiÂtive periÂpatetÂic writer, famousÂly haulÂing his manÂuÂscripts-in-progress around the world while soakÂing in enough mateÂrÂiÂal for the next book.
Lucky for us HemÂingÂway may also be one of the most phoÂtographed writÂers of his genÂerÂaÂtion. The phoÂtographs in the Ernest HemÂingÂway ColÂlecÂtion take us into a mid-cenÂtuÂry world where writÂers, actors, politÂiÂcal leadÂers and beauÂtiÂful jet-setÂters minÂgled on patios and yachts at ease before the camÂera. These were the days before paparazzi startÂed hidÂing in bushÂes.
The colÂlecÂtion is availÂable to us with a typÂiÂcal HerÂmingÂway-esque stoÂry attached. When he died in 1961 in IdaÂho, most of his perÂsonÂal effects were still in Cuba. HemÂinway lived for 20 years in the FinÂca Vigia, a home he bought with the royÂalÂties from For Whom the Bell Tolls. It was at FinÂca Vigia that he wrote The Old Man and the Sea. Rather than writÂing in the workÂshop that his wife Mary had built for him there, he used the bedÂroom, leavÂing the new room for his numerÂous pet cats to use.
At the time of his death, AmerÂiÂcan travÂel into Cuba was banned. HowÂevÂer PresÂiÂdent Kennedy made speÂcial arrangeÂments for Hemingway’s widÂow Mary to return to FinÂca Vigia and retrieve his perÂsonÂal belongÂings. Years latÂer, the John F. Kennedy PresÂiÂdenÂtial Library and MuseÂum received the mateÂriÂals, includÂing more than 10,000 phoÂtographs, books from Hemingway’s priÂvate library (includÂing A Draft of XVI CanÂtos signed by Ezra Pound) and the hand-writÂten sailÂing log HemÂingÂway kept of his travÂels aboard Pilar. The phoÂtographs are now orgaÂnized chronoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly and geoÂgraphÂiÂcalÂly: EarÂly Years 1899–21; Paris Years 1922–1930; Wars 1917–1945; Key West Years 1928–1939; IdaÂho Years 1939–1960; Africa 1933–1934 and Africa 1953–1954; Europe 1948–1959; Cuba Years 1939–1960; and Spain 1953–1960.
HemÂingÂway was in Paris when he sat for this porÂtrait in March, 1928. The phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer, Helen Pierce BreakÂer, was a friend and had been a bridesÂmaid in Hemingway’s wedÂding to his first wife, Hadley.
By the earÂly 1950s, HemÂingÂway was livÂing in Cuba. The paintÂing behind him here at FinÂca Vigia is a porÂtrait of himÂself by WalÂdo Peirce titled Kid Balzac.
Kate Rix is an OakÂland-based freeÂlance writer. Find more of her work at .
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