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This home-turned-museum displays Hemingway’s personal belongings and the environment where he wrote several notable works. During his time in Key West, Hemingway wrote many notable books and short stories, including Green Hills of Africa, Death in the Afternoon, To Have and Have Not, and The Snows of Kilimanjaro. The house was actually a gift to the newlywed couple from Pauline’s rich uncle, Gus, who purchased the estate in 1931. The home was in disrepair when the Hemingways took ownership, but both Ernest and Pauline could see beyond the rubble and ruin and appreciated the grand architecture and stateliness of the home. Constructed from native rock, the house was built in the Spanish Colonial style in 1851. The massive restoration and remodeling they undertook in the early 1930s turned the home into the National Historical Landmark that thousands of tourists visit and enjoy today.
Early history
The museum provides guided educational tours that cater to both school groups and individuals seeking to learn about Hemingway’s life, his literature, and his influence. Tour guides offer detailed insights into Hemingway’s years spent in Key West, with a particular emphasis on how the location impacted his writing. A variety of memorabilia and ephemera related to Hemingway are on display, such as personal letters, fishing gear, and awards.
Life Without Light: Creatures in the Dark With Sarah McAnulty
Today many of the numerous cats that inhabit the grounds still possess the unusual six toes. According to legend, a fellow sailor and ship captain gifted Hemingway with a male cat with six toes named Snow Ball. Polydactyl cats were popular among sailors for their both their rat-hunting skills and as a supposed source of good luck. For book lovers, stepping into Hemingway’s personal studio is sure to be a dream come true.
Hemingway's Last Penny
The Hemingway Home and Museum is open every day, including all holidays, from 9 AM until 5 PM. The paintings, chandeliers, and other architectural details, which have been immaculately preserved over the years, foster a sense that time has magically stood still at the Hemingway house. Pick from authentic, immersive Epic Trips, compact and action-packed Mini Trips and sparkling, expansive Sailing Trips. In the garden, in a grove of bamboo, I sprawl across the bench and open the book. “He was an old man who fished alone in a skiff in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish,’’ is the first sentence. One of the six-toed "Hemingway cats" at the Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West.
The Dixon family: 1961-present
On a slightly odder level, the estate is also home to over 50 cats, with names like Pablo Picasso, Hairy Truman, and Audrey Hepburn. A ship captain once gave Hemingway a six-toed cat, of whom the writer was extremely fond, and from whom these cats are supposedly descended. Even though Hemingway left Key West in 1939, he left his mark on the island city. On a yearly basis, Hemingway look-alikes descend on Key West for the Hemingway Days festivities.
Hemingway's house and cats spared by Hurricane Irma - Los Angeles Times
Hemingway's house and cats spared by Hurricane Irma.
Posted: Mon, 11 Sep 2017 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The home’s location is on the second-highest point on Key West, about 16 feet (4.88 m) above sea level. Tift chose an elevated spot in order to excavate limestone from the property to construct the house. The excavation also allowed for a basement under the home, a rarity on Key West. Hemingway’s home was originally built in 1851 by Asa Tift, a former naval architect and sea captain from Groton, Connecticut.
It’s an iconic piece of literary history that offers visitors the chance to learn about one of America’s greatest writers – and the cats that made him smile. From exploring the grounds to learning more about his wives, there is something for everyone at this unique Florida attraction. The Ernest Hemingway House also serves as a tribute to the author’s immense influence in the literary world. The house has been preserved with much of its original furniture and artwork, giving visitors an idea of what life may have been like for Hemingway during his time there. It is a reminder of the many works he wrote while living in Key West, including To Have and Have Not, which was largely set in Key West.
The Feds Can Tell Ernest Hemingway's Cats What To Do; Here's Why - NPR
The Feds Can Tell Ernest Hemingway's Cats What To Do; Here's Why.
Posted: Mon, 10 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT [source]
“A Farewell to Arms” became Hemingway’s first best-seller and marked his place as one of the preeminent modern American writers. Ernest Hemingway traveled around the world and lived in different parts of the country – but for the legendary American author, Key West was in a league of its own.
Originally the Key West house was built in 1851 from rock and in Spanish Colonial style. But in 1931 when the Hemingways received it the house was in massive need of restoration. So they made an overhaul to get the Key West home to the state and National Historic Landmark it is today.
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The guided tour includes information about all aspects of Hemingway’s interesting life. But you surely don’t have to be a fan of Hemingway to find a visit to Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum inspirational. During a tour your guide tells you about all the stages of Hemingway’s life. As the house is shown interesting events and facts from the beginning to the end are told.
This collection not only highlights Hemingway’s achievements and hobbies but also helps contextualize his place within the literary world and the broader historical events of his time. The museum grounds also feature a cat cemetery, where many of the property’s former feline residents rest. This area serves as a testament to the close-knit nature of the home’s community of cats and the care afforded to them over the years. It also acts as a historical record, with many of the tombstones dating back decades, inscribed with the names of these beloved pets, marking their place in the legacy of the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West is a national historic landmark where one can explore the life and work of the famous author.
Using the salt-water pump, it took two to three days to completely fill the pool. During the summer months, the salt water would remain fresh for only about two to three days. Then the pool would need to be completely drained, another day or two would be required to scrub down and remove the algae and debris, and then the cycle would start again.
Even more mind-boggling is the sheer labor of digging, in solid coral, a massive hole 24 feet wide, 60 feet long, 10 feet deep at the south end, and 5 feet deep at the north end. The Hemingway pool—the only one within 100 miles in the 1930s—was truly an architectural feat. Because the car had been delayed in transit, the Ford dealership insisted that they take up residence in an apartment located above the showroom on Simonton Street.
One of the most unique features of the grounds is the two-piece water fountain, the base of which was once a functioning urinal at Hemingway’s favorite Key West bar, Sloppy Joe’s Bar. When the venue moved locations in 1937, Hemingway remarked to the owner that he had spent enough money at the bar to own a small piece of it; in return, he was gifted the colorful, flower-patterned urinal. Pauline Hemingway quickly had it adorned with an old Spanish olive oil jar from Cuba, and fitted it with plumbing. Hemingway loved art, so it’s fitting that a series of framed paintings and pictures surrounds the fireplace, including one of Hemingway that was hung when the museum opened. The home was built in 1851 and was lived in by Hemingway and his family from 1931 to 1939. Now a public museum, the two-storey Spanish Colonial house still retains its original limestone façade and reclaimed cheery yellow shutters.
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