We’ve just come across a remarkable set of photographs. Donated by the Campbell, Poirier, and Pound families to the Monroe County Public Library, the Heritage House Collection contains more than 400 images of Key West from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. Of greatest interest to us is a handful of images illustrating Key West’s literary history. We believe these images–of Tennessee Williams, Robert Frost, and the home of Ernest Hemingway–have not been widely seen or published until now.
The Hemingway House when it was still Ernest Hemingway's home, circa 1934. This is one of hundreds of photos that were collected by the WPA in Key West in the 1930s. The collection has perhaps a dozen shots of Hemingway's house, before it had a pool or a wall around the property; some were taken from the lighthouse across the street, providing a unique view of Hemingway's immediate neighborhood.
Tennessee Williams, pre- or post-swim. This photo likely taken in January 1947, when Tennessee visited Key West with his 89-year-old grandfather Walter Edwin Dakin and stayed at the La Concha Hotel. Another photo from the collection shows Dakin in what appears to be a Key West backyard.
Robert Frost with Jessie Porter, an unidentified woman, and dogs at Porter's Key West home. Undated.
Another shot of Tennessee Williams, circa 1947. At right is Jessie Porter.
Hemingway's house, from the top of the lighthouse across Whitehead Street. Circa 1934.
What a treat to see the house before the wall! Thanks KWLS
So amazing! Makes you love Key West all the more. Thank you for sharing, Arlo!