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TLS by Mary Hemingway, signed “Mary,” one page, 8.5 x 11, Finca Vigia letterhead, August 25, 1954. Letter to Kit Figgis, a British expat living in Africa who assisted Ernest and Mary Hemingway in the aftermath of their plane crashes in January 1954. Mary Hemingway asks if Figgis can check on the status their safari trophies awaiting taxidermy by P. Zimmermann—"the black-maned lion killed at Kimana Swamp…the Impala killed at Salengi in September, to be head-mounted with cape…Lesser Kudu killed at Magadi…Buffalo, killed at Magadi in October, to have skull and horns mounted on wooden plaque." She lists some less important pieces—"two Orix, a leopard, wildebeest, kongoni, Gerenuk"—and suggests that they be sent to an American taxidermist "if he would prefer to get our stuff out of the way."
In the margin, Ernest Hemingway writes a message signed "Papa" and "E.H.," in part: "Sorry to bother you with this but it seems bad for Mary to run any chance of losing her trophies she worked so hard for…Hope everything is well with you, the children and old Larry. Will write you properly soon. I do so hope everything is OK with my God-child and you. Love, Papa. Excuse bad penmanship. Am scrubbing this PS with the back of a Town and Country as a desk sitting in the old big chair. All parts getting in good shape. Mary fine and well…we plan to be back be this time next year." Mary adds a postscript of her own: "Papa is very much better and improving—he was pretty bear up—M." In fine condition.
In 1954, the Hemingways embarked on a safari in Africa, seeking adventure and inspiration amid the wild landscapes of the Belgian Congo, Kenya, and Rwanda. They pursued lions, buffalo, and other large animals, collecting trophies that reflected the author's fascination with the primal thrill of big-game hunting. The trip, however, became infamous for two near-fatal plane crashes which left Hemingway seriously injured with burns, internal bleeding, and a fractured skull. Despite the trauma, he downplayed his injuries and even joked about premature obituaries published in the press. The ordeal deepened his mythic persona and reaffirmed the themes of danger and survival that permeated his later works.
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