In Germany 1922

In Schwarzwald


Chink Dorman-Smith



Black Forest



Gasthaus Rossele


Paris was very hot and humid in the Summer of 1922.
In August, Ernest got a passport for himself and Hadley for travel to Germany. They were going to go on a hiking tour and fishing trip in the Black Forest region where they hoped that it would be cooler.
They invited Bill Bird and his wife Sally, and Lewis Galantiere and his fiance, Dorothy Butler to come along.
The dollar was being exchanged at 605 marks to a dollar, so Ernest was counting on a vacation that wouldn't break the household funds. He was also hoping to get some material for a story that he could sell to The Star.
Earnest and Hadley decided to fly from Paris to Strasbourg to save eight hours of travelling by train. Hadley was eager for the adventure of her first flight and took the two and a half hour flight in such stride that she fell asleep before the landing.
The six hikers met in Strasbourg on August 3rd and crossed into Germany. They headed to Triberg to fish, but they were not pleased with the crowds of Germans - who were not pleased with them. Ernest thought the Germans to be loud, rude, and rough with women. They managed to get some fishing in away from the crowds of German hikers. Hadley was becoming quite skilled at catching trout.
One day near Oberprechtal the thirsty and hungry hikers stopped at an inn for rooms and food. The innkeeper refused to serve them. He was still bitter towards foreigners because Germany had lost the war. They hiked an additional four miles of "hot, white road" until they came upon the Gasthaus Rossele or Inn of the Pony. It seems that the pony is the favorite symbol of Black Forest inn keepers. Here they were given rooms and they were served food and beer.
By mid-August, the Birds, Galantiere and Dorothy Butler were heading back to Paris. Ernest and Hadley continued alone down the Rhine to Coblenz. There they met Eric "Chink" Dorman-Smith, a friend of Ernest's since 1918 when they met in Italy. (He would become the godfather of the Hemingway's first child. Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas were the joint godmothers.)
Hemingway managed to get three stories forThe Toronto Daily Star: "German Inn-Keepers," "A Paris-To-Strasbourg Flight," and "German Inflation."
The Hemingways returned to Paris by train on August 31st.

Cafe Lipp

Léonard Lipp opened his brasserie in the 1870's after fleeing Alsace during the Franco-Prussian War. The menu is typical of that region including beer, sausage, and sauerkraut. (A brasserie serves alcohol and food.) It stayed in the family until 1920 when Marcellin Cazas bought it. (In 1958, Cazas was given the Legion of Honor for running the best literary salon in Paris.)
Hemingway liked the Lipp for it's oysters and wine and it was a good place to write.
After "The Sun Also Rises" was published, Hemingway was told that some of his friends were out to get him since they thought they were recognizable characters in the novel. Hemingway responded that he would be at the Lipp between two and four every day if anyone wanted to confront him. No one did.

Jazz Age Poster Art

Some more poster art for the blog.
Hemingway's Jazz Age Paris.

Vintage 1920's Paris

The top photos and paintings are of Montmartre in 1925, typical street scenes of Paris in the '20s: A narrow street in Montmartre, The Moulin Rouge, and a Montmartre street scene painted by Utrillo. Next, a photo of 1920s Paris, an uphill shot so typical of Montmartre.
Then, "The Old Book Man" looking for a bargain perhaps at the bookstalls on the banks of the Seine, where Hemingway shopped.

Running Of The Bulls

This week it is the "running of the bulls" in Pamplona, Northern Spain, at the Festival of San Fermin. Young men have been participating in this ceremony since the 1600's, but Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" published in 1926, made it the event that it is today.
Gertrude Stein recommended to Hemingway that he take a vacation there to help him "clear his head" and concentrate on the business of writing a novel.
These photos are from 1925, one year before he finished his novel.
Top photo: Hemingway on the left, Harold Loeb, Lady Duff Twysden, Hadley, Don Stewart and Pat Guthrie.
(If you click on the bottom photo, you will see Ernest just in front of the bull as he participates in "the amateurs.")

Paris Street Scenes

Paris Street circa 1925
Some typical Paris street views in Hemingway's time there, 1921 - 1926.

Transatlantic Review

Ford Madox Ford's little magazine. Hemingway was both a contributor and editor.

Books Sellers On The Seine

Hemingway would walk the river's edge when he was through with work or needed to think something out.
It was also a good place to find books written in English that were very cheap. A lot were left behind in hotels by Americans and sold very cheaply since many were given to the booksellers for nothing by workers in the left bank hotels. They thought the bindings were badly done and how good could the content be if it was in English?

Les Deux Magots

A Hemingway hangout, Les Deux Magots ("the two statues") at 170 Boulevard St. Germaine in the 6th arrondissement