Ernest Hemingway Autograph Letter Signed. One page, 8.25" x 10.5", on Hotel Ritz letterhead, Paris, November 24, 1956. Signed "Papa." A highly desirable Hemingway letter, mentioning Spain, bullfighting, hunting, and the heroes of several of his books. On October 30, 1956, Pió Baroja, considered one of the most prolific novelists of twentieth century Spanish literature and a great inspiration to Ernest Hemingway, died in Madrid. At the time, Hemingway was in Spain attending the great Zaragosa bullfight festival with friends and was asked to be a pallbearer at Baroja's funeral, but he declined saying he felt unworthy of such an honor; however, he did attend the services. Following his stay in Spain, Hemingway and his wife Mary traveled to Paris where they relaxed and visited with friends. While in Paris, the great author sent the following letter to photographer, aspiring writer, and sycophant, Peter Buckley, who photographed Hemingway at Zaragosa. The letter reads in full: "Dear Peter, Thank you very much for the lovely big pictures. The ones at Zaragosa and the one of Antonio [Ordonez, Spanish matador; the hero in The Dangerous Summer] and Mary were especially good. Would you do me a very big favour and be a good boy and do it promptly? Please send the pictures you took of Mary and me and Cooch Behar and Gina Egan in the barsera to Miss Gina Egan. . . . I promised to see they were sent and have worried about them. Please do this Peter. We saw a lot of Juanito Madinaveitia [Hemingway's doctor in Spain] and also had lunch once and dinner twice with Juan Belamonte [considered the greatest matador of all time; Belmonte was a close friend to Hemingway and appears prominently in two of Hemingway's novels: Death in the Afternoon and The Sun Also Rises]. We had a wonderful time together. Mary is much better in every way. I've been following Juanito's regime faithfully. When get next pressure taken will assess how things go. Coldest Nov. 23 in Paris since 1914, -4°. Shot a lot of partridges in Spain. Got some good pictures. We took Caro [Spanish anthropologist, historian, linguist and essayist; Pió Baroja's nephew] to the shoot. He sends his best to you. Mary and I send love. Papa." Hemingway closes with a brief post script: "Your father who was gin crazed prior to conception will be here 3 weeks more."

While attending the Zaragosa festival, Hemingway fiercely berated Buckley for intruding on bullfighter Antonio Ordonez' privacy while he was resting before a bullfight. This event most likely led Buckley, hoping to get back into the author's good graces, to forward the photographs discussed in Hemingway's letter, but Buckley was never able to reestablish his sycophantic position. Three years later, Hemingway is known to have called Buckley "a jerk" and told friends to pay no attention to him.

Letter bears occasional mounting residue on verso (along upper, lower, and right edges) which can be scene on recto, though does not affect the text. Faint age toning.