Without question, Ernest Hemingway is one of the greatest American authors in history. With masterworks such as The Sun Also Rises, A Farewell to Arms, and For Whom the Bell Tolls, Hemingway won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954, but not before living a thousands and one interesting lives.
Serving in World War I, Hemingway returned home a wounded veteran and eventually found his way back abroad to Paris, taking part in one of the richest expat art scenes in history, alongside fellow writers such as Gertrude Stein and James Joyce, as well as artists like Pablo Picasso. He also doubled as a journalist, publishing works in a variety of magazines including Esquire, Cosmopolitan, and Fortune; and had an infamous penchant for the bottle (check out this recipe of his for an absinthe cocktail).
All that said, Hemingway’s life and work will be honored as part of Bonham’s upcoming “Voices of the 20th Century” auction on Dec. 7 in New York City, which will feature books, manuscripts, photographs, and other pieces of memorabilia connected to the author. This is all part of the David Meeker Collection, whose title rare book dealer/collector has put together a sizable trove, including first editions of all of Hemingway’s major works (many of which are signed or inscribed); manuscripts of works the author published in Esquire magazine; final page proofs for Death in the Afternoon (inscribed by the author to then lover Jane Mason); and two of the earliest known letters by Hemingway, written when the author was just seven and nine years old.
Below, RealClearLife has curated a list of five items from the upcoming auction, as well as a descriptor and pre-auction estimate for each.
Hemingway’s Custom Leather Hunting Vest
The author received the leather vest while hunting in Ketchum, Idaho, circa 1955. Ketchum was a popular summer getaway spot for Hemingway in the ’40s, and he eventually bought a house there in 1959. Pre-auction estimate: $1,500–$2,000. For more on the lot, click here.
Typed Manuscript of ‘Marlin Off the Morro: A Cuban Letter’
This lot includes a number of photographs, a six-page type-written manuscript, and a letter (pictured) concerning Hemingway’s piece, “Marlin Off the Morro: A Cuban Letter,” which published in the Autumn edition of Esquire in 1933. It followed the author on a marlin-fishing expedition off the coast of Cuba. The letter is from Hemingway’s editor, asking for him to approve the title and asking after the photos. Pre-auction estimate: $30,000–$50,000. For more on the lot, click here.
First and Only Edition of Hemingway’s First Book
Published by fellow expat Robert McAlmon, Three Stories and Ten Poems had a print run of just 300 copies in 1923. Interestingly, the back states that Hemingway is the author of In Our Time—but that book’s publish date would be delayed for another two years. Pre-auction estimate: $15,000–$25,000. For more on the lot, click here.
Original Hospital Record and X-Rays for Hemingway’s Wartime Injuries
Hemingway’s experience in World War I led him to write A Farewell to Arms. The injuries he received on the Italian front on July 8, 1918, got him sent home. As the auction house notes:
“Hemingway was apparently handing out chocolates to Italian soldiers along the front when an Austrian mortar shell exploded, burying him in a dugout. Despite shrapnel tearing through his right foot and knee, he managed to carry an Italian comrade, also wounded in the blast, to the nearest medical station, for which he was awarded the Croce de Guerra. This episode (minus the heroism) and experience in the Milan military hospital is memorably recorded from the point of view of Frederic in A Farewell to Arms (1929).”
The above image is one of three X-rays, this one showing the damage to his foot. Pre-auction estimate: $15,000–$20,000. For more on the lot, click here.
Three-Piece Matador’s Uniform Worn by Antonio Ordóñez
Known as a traje de luces (suit of lights), this uniform was worn by matador Antonio Ordóñez around 1959, and was bought by Hemingway from him. Hemingway’s friend A.E. Hotchner included this note along with the suit:
“In the summer of 1959, I was traveling throughout Spain with Ernest Hemingway following the circuit of the two great matadors Ordóñez and [Luis Miguel] Dominguín. Ernest’s close friend was Ordóñez. On one occasion, Hemingway suggested that I should go into the ring with the two matadors at one of their big appearances, which occurred in the town of Ciudad Real before a crowd of 15,000 spectators. We went to Antonio’s room where the sword handler was ready to dress me in one of Antonio’s outfits. I was amazed at how heavy, intricate, and costly they are. At that time the suit I wore cost about $3,000.00, since all of the thousands of gold sequins were sewn on by hand. Hemingway had purchased this suit from Antonio, who was the world’s number one bullfighter (at the time); he would no longer wear it since it had bloodstains on the legs ….”
Pre-auction estimate: $8,000–$12,000. For more on the lot, click here.
To browse the rest of the lots in the auction, click here.
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