Hemingway items to be auctioned June 24 in Atlanta

Four items that were given as presents by literary giant Ernest Hemingway to George T. Northen, the grandson of former Georgia Governor William J. Northen, will be sold at auction Sunday, June 24, by Four Seasons Auction Gallery in Atlanta. The sale will be held at Four Seasons' showroom, at 2075 Liddell Drive.

[ClickPress, Thu Jun 14 2007] Four items that were given as presents by literary giant Ernest Hemingway to George T. Northen – the grandson of former Georgia Governor William J. Northen, who served two terms, from 1890-1894 – will be sold at auction on Sunday, June 24, by Four Seasons Auction Gallery. The items will be part of a multi-estate sale to be held in Four Seasons' showroom, at 2075 Liddell Dr.
Auctioned will be Hemingway's manual Royal typewriter, made around 1940 and still in its well-worn leather carrying case; a Meerschaum pipe smoked by Hemingway and with a carving of the wine god Baccus; an electric smoking stand and cigar lighter, with an ornate carving of a pirate; and a silver fishing trophy engraved to C. H. Candler, Jr., a mutual friend and one-time Coca-Cola executive.
Hemingway and Northen were friends and fishing buddies, although it is unknown just how the two met or forged a friendship. Mr. Northen makes specific reference to the four items in his will. He wrote: “The aforementioned items were given to me while in Cuba fishing with my dear friend Ernest Hemingway and were items from Lookout Farm” (Hemingway's home in Cuba, near Havana).
The will was signed by Mr. Northen and notarized. That document will serve, for all intents and purposes, as a certificate of authenticity for anyone who suspects the items weren't “Papa's.” “We realize memorabilia like this is subject to skepticism and scrutiny,” said Steve White of Four Seasons Auction Gallery, “but we also feel that the specific wording in the will should remove all doubts.”
The consignor is Gerald Hickman, a semi-retired antiques dealer living in Alpharetta, Ga., near Atlanta. Mr. Hickman was made aware of a house on Piedmont Avenue in Atlanta, about three years ago, after the occupant, Ruth Northen (Mr. Northen's wife) passed away. Mr. Northen died in 1959. “I couldn't believe all the history that was in that house,” Mr. Hickman said. “It was unreal.”
Scattered throughout the home were boxes and trunks filled with documents, papers and personal effects pertaining to former Gov. Northen. “Some of it wasn't even in boxes,” Mr. Hickman said. “Some of it was just strewn about. It took awhile to even find the Hemingway items. They were boxed up, in the basement.” Mr. Hickman bought the home's entire contents, at an undisclosed price.
For a period of months, Mr. Hickman was bogged down sifting through the inventory of Gov. Northen-related items. Ultimately, he sold most of it to the University of Georgia, which installed the pieces of Georgia history in its Rare Books Library. The cache included a personal journal, books and valuable personal items, such as a gold-handled cane, gold-handled letter opener and a gold watch.
That done, Mr. Hickman was able to give his undivided attention to the Hemingway items. Earlier this month, he contacted Four Seasons Auction Gallery about selling them in an upcoming sale. “It all happened very quickly,” Mr. White remarked. “I think Gerald pondered what he should do with these pieces of Hemingway's legacy. In the end, he decided it was time to let them go, to share them.”
The sterling silver fishing trophy may attract attention from two camps: it is a piece of Hemingway memorabilia, but it is technically a Coke collectible, too. C. H. Candler, Jr., was a director of the Atlanta-based beverage giant in the 1940s. The trophy was presented to him after he caught a 24-pound dolphin in a Miami fishing tournament in 1936. Presumably, he gave the trophy to Hemingway.
The trophy, along with the other three items, were at one time kept by Hemingway in his home in Cuba that he bought in 1940 for $15,000 and named Finca Vigia (Lookout Farm). He and his wife, Martha, lived in the house during World War II and spent time and money rehabilitating the 15-acre property. Today, the house – and Hemingway's fishing boat -- are a national landmark in Cuba.
During the war, while in Cuba, Hemingway began a self-assigned undercover operation to hunt down German submarines in the Atlantic Ocean. He gathered up a group of friends he called the “crook factory,” hoping that if he ever located a German sub he might get close enough to drop a bomb down the hatch. It is unknown whether Mr. Northen or Mr. Candler were part of this dubious posse.
Gov. William J. Northen (1835-1913) was Georgia's 39th governor, serving two consecutive terms from 1890-1894. While governor, he championed educational reform and helped open an agricultural mechanical college for African Americans. He also passed legislation limiting the railroad employees' workday to 13 hours. Northen later served as president of the Georgia Baptist Convention.
The June 24 auction will feature many estate items, in addition to the Hemingway prizes. The multi-estate sale will also include fine furnishings from a 40-acre executive retreat, plus a wide assortment of antiques and jewelry from around the globe. The auction will start at 11 am. Bidders are also invited to attend a catered preview party, on Saturday, June 23, in Four Seasons' Buckhead gallery.
Four Seasons Auction Gallery is one of the premier auction houses in the Southeast, and certainly one of the busiest. Since the turn of the year, the firm has averaged about ten sales a month. These have included on-site real estate auctions, multi-estate sales and vintage automobile auctions. Four Seasons Auction Gallery holds an estate sale every Wednesday evening, beginning at 6 pm.
To learn more about the upcoming June 24 auction, or for more information about Four Seasons Auction Gallery, you may visit the firm online at www.fsagallery.com. Quality consignments are always being accepted. To consign an item, estate or collection, you may call them directly, at (404) 876-1048. The e-mail address is info@fsagallery.com. Address your e-mail to Steve White.

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