Hemingway, Ernest | Autograph letter signed to Arnold Gingrich, following their chance first meeting - photo 1
Hemingway, Ernest | Autograph letter signed to Arnold Gingrich, following their chance first meeting - photo 2
Hemingway, Ernest | Autograph letter signed to Arnold Gingrich, following their chance first meeting - photo 3

Hemingway, Ernest | Autograph letter signed to Arnold Gingrich, following their chance first meeting

Lot 26
08.12.2023 12:00UTC -05:00
Classic
Sold
$ 5 080
AuctioneerSotheby´s
Event locationUSA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1108745
Lot 26 | Hemingway, Ernest | Autograph letter signed to Arnold Gingrich, following their chance first meeting
Estimate value
$ 4 000 – 6 000
Hemingway, Ernest
Autograph letter signed (“Ernest Hemingway”), to Arnold Gingrich in New York, following their chance first meeting at House of Books

2 pages (263 x 180 mm), Key West, 31 January [1933]; in brown ink on both sides of a sheet of fine ecru stationery, original stamped envelope addressed by Hemingway and with his name and return address in his hand.

“I actively dislike all the non-combatants and camp followers of the arts.”

While in New York in January, Hemingway met Gingrich (on the 20th) at House of Books, run by Capt. Louis Henry Cohn. Hemingway had gone there to discuss a limited edition of his story “God Rest You Merry, Gentleman,” which Cohn was to publish in April. Quite by accident, Gingrich was also at House of Books, to purchase (for $75) a copy of Three Stories & Ten Poems. Now back home in Key West, Hemingway writes: “It was a great pleasure to meet you and I was only sorry that I had to leave to get to the hotel to pack ... Anytime you send the book I will be glad to write in it ... That Capt. Cohn is a strange bird. He will write, wire, bother, pester and drive you for something until you give it in order to be let alone but when I finally give him a hell of a good story [see above] he never even writes to acknowledge it. (The way of a bibliographer in the air) I hope to Christ he wont go around defending me against adverse reviews — a role he was outlining as you came in. I know what I am doing and need no defence. I don’t mind attacks. If they have any truth I learn something from them and if they are all wrong they don’t worry me ..."

"Am more interested in getting my work done and living my life than in maintaining value of my 1st editions (all of which long since stolen by friends). I’d as soon destroy their bloody value if could during my life in order to annoy people who speculate in them. You work for your living [Gingrich was the publisher of Apparel Arts, the predecessor of Esquire] and like what I write. I respect you and thought you wrote an intelligent and damned understanding letter about my stuff. But I do not respect and actively dislike all the non-combatants and camp followers of the arts. (But will not quarrell [sic] with them, either, to give them a place in ‘Literary History’) Well enough of this ...”
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