Photo taken by photographer & 1970’s Miami Springs mayor R. B. Fordyce of Ernest Hemingway in one of the rooms on the Curtiss Mansion grounds (then Art Bruns’ Miami Springs Villas) April 19, 1956. Hemingway dined at the Villas between flights on his trip from his home in Cuba to Cabo Blanco, Peru. He was on his way to Cabo to work on the Spencer Tracy film The Old Man And The Sea based on his short novel of the same name. The photo is signed to “Judge Bishop”. Warren Bishop was the Miami Springs town Judge at the time & a director of the new Executive Club at the Villas. Hemingway & his wife Mary liked the steaks at the Villas so much that they had 90 pounds of it shipped to Peru for his 32 day trip there.

Ernest Hemingway was photographed by R.B. Fordyce, the 1970s mayor of Miami Springs, in the Curtiss Mansion (then known as the Miami Springs Villas) on April 19, 1956 – Photo Courtesy Miami Springs Historical Society

The beef sparked a running feud between the Peruvian government Customs Department who refused to let it into the country and Hemingway. He was able to fish on the trip and after catching the 750 pound Black Marlin shown in the 2nd photo he sent a cable to Villas manager Art Bruns offering him enough Marlin for the menu at the Villas for the rest of the year.

Hemingway offering Art Bruns, the manager of the Villas, enough marlin for the restaurant’s menu for the rest of the year via cable – Photo Courtesy Miami Springs Historical Society

Visit the Miami Springs Historical Society and Museum  The Miami Springs Historical Society is located at 501 East Drive in Miami Springs.

Miami Springs Historical Society Museum

Address:
501 East Drive
Miami Springs, FL 33166

Directions: 

From the Palmetto, exit at NW 36th Street and head East on NW 36th Street.  Continue East on NW 36th Street and make a left hand turn (North) on East Drive.  Continue North until you reach 501 East Drive.

From I-95, take I-95 to State Road 112 Westbound.  Exit State Road 112 at NW 36th Street.  Continue west on NW 36th Street until you reach East Drive.  Make a right hand turn at East Drive (North).  Continue North on East Drive until you reach 501 East Drive.

From Hialeah, take Okeechobee Road until you reach East 4th Avenue.  Turn south on East 4th Avenue and cross the bridge into Miami Springs.  Take the center lane and continue south onto East Drive.  You’ll see Stafford Park on your left hand side and then the entrance to the Museum Parking lot at 501 East Drive.

Map to the Miami Springs Historical Society

Miami Springs Historical Museum Hours

The Museum is open each Saturday (except Christmas & New Years) from 12 Noon to 4 pm.

Entrance is FREE!

Donations are welcome.

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