August 2023 Auction Ends Thursday, August 31st, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2023
Ernest Hemingway autograph letter signed spanning four pages, written shortly after his January 1954 plane crash that nearly left him dead. Written 17 April 1954 (misdated as 53), Hemingway writes to his lawyer Alfred Rice, with gritty detail on his physical condition, as well as content on needing money and other matters. Composed on Gritti Palace-Hotel stationery from Venice, Italy, Hemingway writes,
''Dear Al: Roberto [Herrera] wrote me he had a letter from either Abercrombie and Fitch or a collection agency saying they would go to law if my bill with them was not paid. Please pay it at once out of my funds available. Pay under protest.
A: I have never received any bill of any sort from A and F, since I was in their store in June.
B: They should have billed me through the Guaranty Trust Co. of N.Y - 4 Place de la Concorde - Paris - France which forwarded my mail regularly.
C. They sent me two .22 rifles of a type I did not order, several hundred rounds of ammo of another type than I had ordered; sent my guns...to Box 577 Nairobi instead of 557 Nairobi through carelessness so that I did not have my Springfield .30-06 for more than a month and had to shoot my first lion with a borrowed .256 Mannlicher which was so old it would come apart in my hands and had to be held together with tape and Scotch tape. Their carelessness in shipping imperiled both my life and livelihood.
D. In exporting it they valued my .577 Westley Richards at $2,000 and I had to pay full duty on that sum etc.
Please pay the bill, whatever it is promptly, but make a note of the above and put it in a letter to them. / I am an honorary member of the White Hunters Association and an Honorary Game Warden of Kenya and on both of these organizations the impression made by their carelessness was not a good one.
Ok...The dope is now that I have to go into hospital Monday at Genova. Hope check up will be ok, and will get a good plan on handling the internal injuries. I asked Bill Lowe and Hotch [A.E. Hotchner] to give you the word on them and the burns. Couldn't write letters much on acc't of right arm which was burned to the bone 3rd degree and it would cramp up on me (still does a little but all burns ok). But fingers burned and left hand 3rd degree too, so couldn't type.
The trouble is inside where right kidney was ruptured and liver and spleen injured. We'll get them checked out at this clinic where they have the best man at that stuff in Europe.
Mary has gone to Paris and she and Adriana are meeting at Biarritz and going to Spain. I will join at Madrid when I can. Have Dr. there that have a lot of confidence in. Then will rest and go home to Havana direct. I could take N.Y. But it would be stupid. Sail from Geneva June 4...arrive Havana June.
Hope the dept or Bureau will understand. Had receipts and all sorts of stuff burn. Don't know whether air company will pay for losses. They said they would. But haven't yet. That is 54 of course. But receipts etc were 1953. Mary had a big shock and her memory not too hot yet and it will take quite a time to sort things out. Tell the Dept. that I am more valuable to them alive than dead and at present am trying [to] stay alive and get fit to produce.
Al would you find out and let me know what dough Look [magazine] has deposited on these 2nd two pieces and let me know air mail. Also any reaction: good or bad. Also what dough I have with you. Also when I have to pay next and how much. Get this dough from Scribners.
I am weak from so much internal bleeding. Have been a good boy and tried to rest and took full [?] but having to fight the fire gave it to me.
Everything fine here. Hope you and your lovely wife and Philip [are] well.
I'll have to go out to Kenya again as there is some unfinished business still. So left the 30-06, .577 and .22 rifles and pistols in the game Dept armoury. Had them send my shot guns and Mary's rifle to Abercrombie and Fitch.
Take care of your-self and give my love to my friends. When you figure 1954 tax estimate 5 percent of the 20,000...from the two 1954 pieces went to Mrs. Larry Figgis...and 5 percent to Roy Marsh who participated. / Best always...Ernie''.
Four page letter is composed by Hemingway on four separate sheets, each measuring 6.5'' x 9.75''. Staple puncture at upper left and minor creasing, overall near fine condition.
Ernest Hemingway Autograph Letter Signed -- ''...had to shoot my first lion with a borrowed .256 Mannlicher...'' & plane crash: ''...fingers burned and left hand 3rd degree too, so couldn't type...''
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