Ernest Hemingway
American author and journalist, 1899-1961
Hemingway had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. He published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works. Additional works, including three novels, four short story collections, and three non-fiction works, were published posthumously. Many of his works are considered classics of American literature.
Source: Wikipedia
American writer and Nobel Laureate (1899-1961). Autograph letter signed (“Ernest Hemingway”), to Mrs. Ralph Connable. Kenilworth Avenue, Oak Park (Illinois). 6 pp. on 6 leaves. 8vo, with the original envelope.
$ 25,421 / 22.000 €
(104978)
An exceptional early letter of considerable biographical importance, written at a decisive moment in Hemingway’s development, and addressed to Harriet Connable, one of the most influential figures in his early career. Composed shortly after his stay with the Connable family in Toronto—where he took his first significant steps into professional journalism—the letter vividly captures the voice of the young Hemingway, still poised between youthful uncertainty and the beginnings of his literary ambition.
He expresses deep gratitude for the Connables’ hospitality: “You were awfully good to me […] the priceless time I had”, while at the same time revealing his characteristic restlessness and desire for experience. In particularly striking passages, Hemingway outlines plans to ship out as a seaman and travel to the Far East: “We will make 70 seeds a month and should hit Yokohama with quite a little money […] I am going to try and sign on as a stoker […] I’m getting my passport for China, Japan and India”. These remarks offer a remarkable early glimpse of the adventurous impulse that would later shape both his life and literary identity. Equally notable is the emotional warmth of the letter, reflecting the profound personal bond between Hemingway and the Connable family, whose support proved instrumental at this formative stage: “I miss Toronto and you and Mr. Connable and Dorothy and Ralph a lot […] the very nicest people I have ever known”. The tone combines sincerity, humour, and self-awareness, culminating in the disarming admission: “This letter is too long I know”. The present letter is accompanied by the original envelope, addressed in Hemingway’s hand, and further annotated by Ralph Connable Jr., adding an additional layer of historical immediacy. Harriet Connable had brought Hemingway to Toronto in 1919 and facilitated his work for the Toronto Star, thereby playing a crucial role in his transition from aspiring writer to professional journalist. Letters of this early period—particularly those documenting his relationship with the Connables—are of considerable rarity and importance. A highly attractive and unusually substantial early Hemingway letter, rich in autobiographical content and offering a rare insight into the formative experiences and ambitions of one of the twentieth century’s most influential writers..
American writer and Nobel Laureate (1899-1961). Fine vintage signed and inscribed photograph „Ernest Hemingway“. no place, no date. 246 : 196 mm. Mounted to: 273 : 220 mm.
$ 16,755 / 14.500 €
(106461)
Fine vintage signed photograph showing Ernest Hemingway with his young son Patrick, both posing outdoors with rifles during the family's years in Key West. The full-length image depicts Hemingway standing on a lawn beside his second son Patrick Hemingway (1928–2025), both dressed casually in striped T-shirts and shorts while holding rifles. Hemingway warmly inscribes the photograph: "To Jimmy Robinson, wishing him all the best, from his friend, Ernest Hemingway." Taken during Hemingway's residence in Key West in the late 1920s or early 1930s, the photograph captures the author in the informal domestic setting that coincided with one of the most productive periods of his literary career.
These were the years in which he completed A Farewell to Arms and established the adventurous public persona that would become inseparable from his image. Hunting, fishing, and the outdoors played a central role in Hemingway's life and writing, and photographs documenting these pursuits—especially those including members of his family—are among the most evocative visual records of the author. A particularly appealing inscribed family photograph, combining Hemingway's iconic outdoorsman image with a rare and intimate portrayal of the Nobel laureate alongside his young son..
American writer and Nobel Laureate (1899-1961). Typed letter and illustrated of a roulette table, signed „Ernest Hemingway“. Lyndhurst [Avenue, Toronto]. 4to. 2 pp. (separate leaves).
$ 25,999 / 22.500 €
(106462)
Exceptional early illustrated letter on probability, roulette, and statistical reasoning, written during Hemingway's Toronto years and featuring an original sketch of a roulette table. Written shortly after beginning his career as a reporter for the Toronto Star, Hemingway responds to the news that Dorothy Connable had been playing roulette by interrupting work on what he jokingly calls his "magnum opus" to share "the results of a misspent early boyhood." What follows is an unexpectedly sophisticated discussion of probability and gambling strategy, in which Hemingway rejects intuition and superstition in favour of statistical reasoning. Explaining the mathematical structure of roulette, he notes that the game is fundamentally honest because "the chances are 38 to 1 against your getting any single number that you select and it only pays 36 to 1," emphasizing the house advantage.
Rather than relying on hunches—"A hunch may be right once, but it's wrong a lot more times"—he advocates observing the distribution of outcomes, identifying numbers that have not appeared for an extended period, and employing a progressive betting strategy based on the "law of averages." To illustrate his system, Hemingway adds an original pencil drawing of an American roulette table, complete with numbered layout and betting chips indicating his preferred combinations. He concludes with a second probability-based method using the three dozens of the roulette board before humorously describing the letter as "merely a treatise on the evils of gambling." Viewed today, the letter is a fascinating example of intuitive probabilistic thinking decades before modern game theory, behavioural economics, or artificial intelligence formalized decision-making under uncertainty. Hemingway's reflections on randomness, expected outcomes, and betting systems illustrate a practical engagement with mathematical concepts that continue to underpin contemporary fields ranging from quantitative finance to machine learning. His roulette diagram transforms the letter into an exceptional visual document at the intersection of literature, mathematics, and probability theory. The letter was written to Dorothy Connable, daughter of Harriet Connable, whose support proved decisive in Hemingway's early career. The Connable family provided the young writer with a home in Toronto and helped launch his career at the Toronto Star during one of the formative periods of his life. An outstanding early Hemingway letter, combining literary charm with an original and surprisingly analytical discussion of probability, statistical inference, and gambling strategy. The autograph roulette diagram makes it a particularly appealing piece not only for collectors of literary manuscripts but also for those interested in the history of mathematics, decision theory, and the origins of probabilistic thinking..
American novelist, Nobel laureate (1899-1961). Signed and inscribed photograph (on the verso of a bullfighter’s image). Pamplona. 125 : 90 mm.
$ 9,822 / 8.500 €
(93497)
A privately taken photograph of Hemingway (105 : 75 mm) at Pamplona with English visitors Olive and Doreen Mills, unsigned. All three smiling at the photographer’s lense. There is a photograph of the Spanish bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez surrounded by a group of people. This photograph is signed, inscribed, and dated by Hemingway: „To Doreen with all good wishes always | Ernesto Hemingway | Pamplona | 12/7/59“. Hemingway visited Pamplona eight times between 1924-1959 and he stayed on his last visit to Pamplona from July 7-14, 1959. Included is also a photograph showing Antonio Ordóñez, the famous Spanish bullfighter, signed, inscribed on the image.
Ordóñez met a number of writers and actors, and he also starred in a few films. Antonio was a long time friend of Ernest Hemingway, whom he called Father Ernesto. Hemingway wrote an account of Ordóñez's rivalry with the matador Luis Miguel Dominguín (also Ordóñez's brother-in-law) titled The Dangerous Summer..
American novelist, Nobel laureate (1899-1961). Signed and inscribed photograph (on the verso of a bullfighter’s image). Pamplona. 114 : 88 mm.
$ 8,666 / 7.500 €
(93498)
A privately taken photograph of Hemingway (75 : 105 mm) at Pamplona with English visitors Olive and Doreen Mills, unsigned. All three smiling at the photographer’s lense. There is a photograph of the Spanish bullfighter Antonio Ordóñez surrounded by a group of people. This photograph is signed, inscribed, and dated by Hemingway: „To Olive | always | Ernesto Hemingway | Pamplona | 12/7/59“. Hemingway visited Pamplona eight times between 1924-1959 and he stayed on his last visit to Pamplona from July 7-14, 1959. Ordóñez met a number of writers and actors, and he also starred in a few films.
Antonio was a long time friend of Ernest Hemingway, whom he called Father Ernesto. Hemingway wrote an account of Ordóñez's rivalry with the matador Luis Miguel Dominguín (also Ordóñez's brother-in-law) titled The Dangerous Summer..
American novelist, Nobel laureate (1899-1961). Collection of 2 typed letters (1 with some autograph lines, both signed ("Ernie"). San Francisco de Paula (Cuba). Large 4to. Altogether 2½ pp. on 3 ff. With one autograph envelope. On Hemingway's personal Finca Vigia stationery.
$ 14,444 / 12.500 €
(44185/BN30219)
To George Brown, the owner of a gymnasium in Manhattan, Hemingway's personal trainer, boxing coach, and friend. - I: Hemingway's affection for his sporting pal is evident in this revealing and highly personal letter, written shortly before Ernest and Mary left for an African safari: "How are you kid? Mary sends her best. We are fine and in very good shape and think of you often. Were out on a trip together on the boat for two weeks and we go to bed every night after it gets dark and have plenty of time to talk and to sleep good [...]".
Hemingway then gives news of his sons, and mentions his youngest son ("Gig"), who, in his early twenties, was turning violently hostile to his father: "I am sorry I spoke against Gig since he is a friend of yours and used to be of mine as well as my favorite son. But he changed very strange very fast. As bad as though the devil was managing him. I couldn't ever see him again; not even to go and see him hanged. But if he seems good to you, O.K. I haven't heard from him since last November when he came of age [...]" (Finca Vigia, San Francisco de Paula, Cuba, May 12, 1953). - II: Written from his sickbed. Preparations were still being made for the film mentioned above, and Hemingway had spent September trying to get actions shots of leaping marlins for the producer Leland Hayward. Apparently, too, Hemingway was making an effort to get Brown involved in getting Spencer Tracy in shape, for he writes: "I am very sorry about [Peter] Viertel [wrote the screenplay] behaving so carelessly. He is a very selfish boy but I think he has a little bit of an excuse in that he was with Zinneman[n] on the script and was expecting you out there. While Zinneman[n] was down here we discussed the whole thing about your getting Spencer in shape and agreed it was absolutely necessary and we spoke about it again on the long distance phone […]" (ibid., November 25, 1955; with several autograph lines in pencil)..
American writer and Nobel Laureate (1899-1961). Portrait signed and inscribed. Havana. 22.8 x 17.1 cm.
$ 20,799 / 18.000 €
(106022/BN67901)
"For Beatie / with much / affection / always / Ernest Hemingway/ Havana 1953". Hemingway, who began visiting Cuba frequently from 1932 onward, eventually bought a house in Havana, La Vigía, and lived there from 1943 to 1960. - The recipient, Beatie Guck, was a friend of Hemingway’s fourth wife, Mary. The year this photo was signed was a high point in Hemingway’s later career: he had just published "The Old Man and the Sea" and received the Pulitzer Prize for it in 1953, followed by the Nobel Prize in the following year.
sold
Signed and dated album page.
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Autograph letter signed (“Ernest”), to Dorothy Connable.
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Eigenh. Albumblatt mit U.
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Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961), Schriftsteller und Nobelpreisträger. E. Albumblatt mit Widmung und U. O. O. u. D. 1 S. 4to. "To Richard Ehm | with all good wishes" – Mit alt montiertem Portrait (Zeitungsausschnitt).
Exceptional group of four letters from Hemingway to his close friend Guy Hickok.
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Autograph envelope signed.
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Eigenh. Albumblatt geschrieben unterhalb seines Portrait mit Unterschrift.
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