ORIGINAL ART in an AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED, on Finca Vigia stationery, 4to, San Francisco de Paula, Cuba, Sept. 26, 1958, with transmittal envelope.
Papa Hemingway tells his son about hurricanes and his health. As part of the post script, the Nobel author illustrates one result of his medical check up. First he apologizes to John, known as Jack and affectionately called "Bum" for Bumpy, for forgetting to send "the check from Warner Lambert. Sorry...." Hemingway's second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer, was a niece of Gustave Pfeiffer, the founder of what became the Warner-Lambert company. Hurricane news follows. "Of the two new hurricanes Helene... is now well to the north and the 2nd Ilsa looks at 0500 as though it would go north of us too. Have just checked the co-ordinates...." He signs, "Papa, " and continues with news of his health. "got results of check up last night. Hangar now completely negative...." To the left he draws a vial and writes on it, "Negative Hangar Kuss [German for kiss]". He continues, "Liver O.K. Weight 205 3/4 Pressure 140/66." In his later years, after his two airplane crashes in Africa in 1954, Hemingway was challenged by worsening physical health including liver disease and high blood pressure. In our book, "Scrawl: An A-Z of Famous Doodles [Rizzoli 2019], Hemingway described his health in a letter with a similar but funnier sketch. The letter offers some insight into Hemingway's concern about his physical condition about three years before his suicide. .
Item #4846
Price: $7,400.00