ASTOUNDING ERNEST HEMINGWAY ARCHIVE, INCLUDING HIS THOUGHTS ON COLLECTING HIS MANUSCRIPTS AND REFERENCES TO HIS BOOKS, OTHER WRITERS AND BULLFIGHTS

A truly historic collection of Hemingway material addressed to Pauline Hemingway’s doctor, Don Carlos Guffey. Guffey was a pioneering obstetrician who performed the first C Section in Kansas. It was on Hemingway’s wife, Pauline. Dr. Guffey delivered Ernest and Pauline’s two sons, Patrick and Gregory. Guffey was also an avid book collector for whom Hemingway had great respect. This fabulous archive, housed within a lovely blue linen and leather folding case, consists of:

1. An exceedingly rare one page autograph letter written by Ernest Hemingway to Dr. Don Carlos Guffey from Key West, Florida. Hemingway writes:

“Box 404
Key West, Fla
April 12,1931

Dear Dr. Guffey,

I would have answered your letter long ago but this week, only, I have started to write again with this arm. Have not written a thing since November one – the median radial nerve has regenerated finally and can work the wrist, but it still is on the abnormal side to use ( after suffering injuries to his writing arm in a car accident in November 1930)– so this will be only a short note to let you know we are going abroad for me to finish this book and then in Paris, I will get you the letters Wilder-Walpole *– from my stored correspondence. Also, I would like very much to give you a copy of Three Stories and 10 Poems (privately published in 1923 in a run of 300 copies) which is one of the books you remembered in your letter as hard to get. I believe I own one and would prefer for you to have it since I am not a collector and you are.

Anyway this letter is an IOU for one copy of the above book – and you will have it before we return to U.S. next fall – I’m sorry not to have a first of “In Our Time” (the 1924 Paris edition of In Our Time), but believe the Three and 10 (Three Stores and Ten Poems) is the harder to get of the two – certainly it is the first I ever published – if there’s any delay in sending it will be because I go first to Spain to work in Madrid through June July and August ( to work on ‘Death In The Afternoon’) , and it will probably be September before we get to Paris, get my stuff out of the trunk and send you the book.

Am enclosing card from Dos Pessos** – I hope everything is well with you and your family – with best wishes always from Mrs. Hemingway and myself – yours always – Ernest Hemingway

April 27, Box 404, Key West, Florida,

*Referring to English novelist, Hugh Walpole and American Pulitzer Prize novelist, Thornton Wilder.

** Referring to John Dos Passos, novelist most recognized for U.S.A. Trilogy, which critiques American culture from the left.

2. Yet another amazing content two page autograph letter signed, Ernest Hemingway, to Guffey from Key West, Florida dated April 27 1931:

“Dear Dr. Guffey-

I’m afraid there wasn’t time to send the books for autographing because I am leaving day after tomorrow for Havana to get a boat direct for Spain – I didn’t know exactly when I was going – expected to sail May 15 and was going to wire you to send the books as soon as I was sure – but have a chance to get this Dutch boat and must get to Spain as soon as possible.

However, we will surely be in Kansas City in November – Mrs. Hemingway will probably be writing you soon to give you additional assurance that we will be and to ask your advice – and I will autograph the books then.

In case anything should happen to me in the bull ring or any other dumb way – I have told Pauline, where to find the copy of the Three Stories and 10 Poems and that it is to go to you – do not expect any disasters nor have any premonitions but have had so many accidents lately that I should take that step to protect your interests. If anything should ever happen to me write to Pauline and remember tell her I told you to!

About Mss. (manuscripts) I either lost them or gave them away as I went along. Have always been strongly(crossed out) completely opposed to selling them since, to the person writing them himself they are only so much scrap paper once the work is accomplished and for him to think of them as anything else would be damned bad for the future work. But since people began buying them up, have given some to friends who were writers and broke telling them to sell them if they wanted and keep whatever they would bring– I will go through my stuff in Paris and see if I can find anything you would like – but don’t worry – I’m not through writing by a damned site, barring acts of God, and will have some manuscripts of stories as soon as I get going again that I will be happy to give to you –

Am somewhat worried about Pauline making the trip to Europe and return- would prefer for her not to; except that she wants to very much and feels sure it will not be hard for her except to be careful until early November and plans to return to U.S. in August – has many things she needs to do in Paris (all our things are there)– and is going direct via New York to Paris– to join me in Madrid, where I go direct from here as soon as possible to finish this bull fight book (Death In The Afternoon, published in 1932) – she will probably come back to U.S. before I do unless I can get the book done – mention this not to talk shop, but so you will be au courant. Pauline doesn’t plan to sail until May 20 from New York – leaving here about May 11 –

The Kiki book (Kiki’s Memoirs; Paris, 1930, with an introduction by Hemingway) is a lousy – a terrible translation (by Samuel Putnam) –the orig. one was really very good –

I will get a copy of the original French edition in Paris and translate a couple of chapters for you. When we are in Kansas City – you can paste in the translations and that should make a good item for your collection and will justify or fail to justify my opinion of the translation of the book – the translation as it is misses every quality the original had – well, enough of this – goodbye – and I hope you have a splendid summer –

Yours always

Ernest Hemingway”

Great postscript mentioning monetary compensation for the publication of “IN OUR TIME” as follows:

“Think of that damned In Our Time selling for $200.00 = got not one cent for its publication- Bill Bird* printed it for the pleasure of printing on a hand press -he sold the press to Nancy Cunard*- finally the copies sold out at once – what they brought went to pay for the cost of printing the other books he made that didn’t sell.

I only got $200.00 from Liveright** for the original In Our Time as published in U.S.- with all the stories. Could not sell a single one of the stories in it to magazines-

It is a strange business.”

*William Augustus Bird (1888–1963) was an American journalist, now remembered for his Three Mountains Press, a small press he ran while in Paris in the 1920s for the Consolidated Press Association. ‘In Our Time’ was first published there. Taken over by Nancy Cunard in 1928, it became the Hours Press, and continued its association with many of the most important modernists; Ezra Pound had a position as editor for Three Mountains from 1923.

**Boni & Liveright in New York published In Our Time, Ernest Hemingway’s first short story collection, in 1925

Each letter incredibly rare find with spectacular content.

3. Stamped Envelope hand addressed by Hemingway to Guffey signed “ E. Hemingway” with return Key West address.

4. Stamped Envelope hand addressed by Hemingway to Guffey signed in full “ Ernest Hemingway” with return Key West address.

5. Typed letter signed from Pauline Hemingway to Dr. Guffey dated May 26, 1931 (with original envelope):

“Dear Doctor Guffey,

I did so enjoy seeing you again and being confirmed in my opinion that you are the finest doctor in the world. And I was so glad to see something of your wife and beautiful daughter. You are a lucky man.

By now I suppose you are back from Philadelphia and deep in more sections. Almost wish I was having a baby myself. Although I seem to have my hands full at the moment. When I got back, I found a message from Key West saying that there were four cases of infantile paralysis there, so, as the children were leaving anyway in a few weeks, I had them shipped up north immediately – which took quite a lot of telegraphing and telephoning to Cuba in Florida.

Ernest writes he was sending the items so if you don’t get them, let me know and I’ll look into the matter.

You were grand to me when I was in Kansas City, and I certainly appreciate your many kindnesses. If we go west this summer we’ll surely be through Kansas City – and what about you’re coming to Florida some of these days?

Much love and gratitude

Pauline Hemingway

May 26.”

6. Candid photograph of Hemingway with Pauline and Dr. Guffey.

7. Iconic Karsh 8 x10 black and white photograph of Hemingway.

The Letters of Ernest Hemingway, Volume 4, published by Cambridge University Press spans the period of April 1929 through 1931, featuring many previously unpublished letters, and records the establishment of Ernest Hemingway as an author of international renown following the publication of A Farewell to Arms. Breaking new artistic ground in 1930, Hemingway embarks upon his first and greatest non-fiction work, his treatise on bullfighting, Death in the Afternoon. Hemingway, now a professional writer, demonstrates a growing awareness of the literary marketplace as seen in our letters, successfully negotiating with publishers and agents. In private we see Hemingway’s generosity as he provides for his family and offers support to friends and colleagues. Despite suffering injuries to his writing arm in a car accident in November 1930, Hemingway writes and dictates letters that record in colorful and eloquent prose the eventful life and achievements of an enormous personality.

This archive represents one of the most important Hemingway treasures to come to market.