Photographing The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum in Piggott, Arkansas

Review of The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum in Piggott, Arkansas

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum in Piggott, Arkansas
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

Touring and photographing Ernest Hemingway's "home" and studio in Piggott, Arkansas was a fabulous way to spend a day, and a wonderful memory.  The house actually belonged to the Pfeiffer family, but it was "home" to Hemingway when he was in Piggott.

I admit, while I have read several books by Ernest Hemingway, he is far down my list of favorite authors, but he is on the list.  He is also one of my husband's favorite authors.   When we discovered we could tour his home in Arkansas, we were definitely up for the adventure.  

Prior to visiting The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum, I didn't know a lot about Hemingway's personal life.  I was in for a lot of shocking details!  We were basically given a private tour of the home and our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable.  Because we were the only two people there, we asked lots of questions and I had plenty of opportunities to take pictures.   Expecting to be in for a real treat, I had packed two cameras and all of my lenses.  I am really glad I did.  It turned out that I needed them all to get the shots I wanted! 

Ernest Hemingway & Pauline Pfeiffer

Ernest Hemingway & Pauline Pfeiffer
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

Our guide give us a great deal of historical detail.  It was clear that she greatly admired Pauline Pfeiffer.  She bragged to us about how Pauline Pfeiffer was a journalist for Vogue magazine in Paris, France.  It was there that Pauline met Ernest Hemingway and his wife.  According to our guide, Hemingway was immediately enamored with Pfeiffer and they engaged in an affair.  When Hemingway told his wife that he was in love and wanted to marry Pauline, she suggested that he take some time to think about it.  If he wanted a divorce so he could marry Pfeiffer, she would grant him the divorce.  And, so it was...

Pauline and Ernest married in France that following spring.  When Pauline discovered she was pregnant, they moved to Piggott, Arkansas to live with Pauline's family and to await the birth of their child.  That home is now a part of  The Hemingway-Pfeiffer museum.  It is also the place where Hemingway wrote parts of "A Farewell to Arms" in the barn studio located on the property.  

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum House & Home

Stickley Chair in The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

By today's standards, you might not think the house is very big.  However, I have no doubt it was considered quite large in Piggott during the late 20's & 30's when the wealthy Pheiffer family owned it.  

Much of the furniture in the home today, was furniture owned by the Pfeiffers and in use when Hemingway was there.  That alone, makes the tour very interesting.  I could easily imagine Ernest Hemingway sitting in this front room with a romantic fire.

Apparently, the Pheiffers loved Stickley furniture as much as we do!  This is the front room on the right as you enter the Pfeiffer home.

If you look carefully, you will see that the photo of Ernest & Pauline is sitting on the end table.  Of course, I had to take a close-up photo of the couple.

Front Room of The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

On the left, as you enter the home, is a grand piano.  The comfortable chair would certainly be inviting to sit and listen to an accomplished pianist.  

The Grand Piano in The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

The stairs to the bedrooms is directly across from the front door.  You could literally run through the front door and up the stairs if you desired.  Again, I could easily imagine Ernest Hemingway doing that very thing.  Then calling out to Pauline as he reached the landing at the top of the stairs, all excited about news of a new hunt.

Stairs in The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum Home
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

Top of the Stairs at The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Home
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

Prayer Room in The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum

I found it extremely interesting the Pauline Pfeiffer's mother, Mary Pfeiffer, had a prayer room in her home.  Our guide explained that Mary required a prayer room since there was no Catholic church close by to attend and she was a devout Irish Catholic.  

The existing prayer room was set up to look like Mary Pfeiffer's prayer room.  She had a real altar there, but it is currently being used by a church.  You can see the real altar in a photo that is sitting on the makeshift altar.

Mary's Prayer Room in the Pfeiffer Home
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

Mary also had a quilt closet upstairs. This was probably my favorite room. Not because of the room itself, but because of the story of the room. According to our guide, the Pfeiffer's were surrounded by people who had very little.  Many of the women of the community would quilt and sell their quilts just to get by.  Mary Pfeiffer never refused to buy the quilts.  She stored them in this room and when they were needed, she gave them away.  

Of all of the people I heard about the day of our tour, I think I would have liked Pauline Pfeiffer's mother, Mary, the most.

Mary Pfeiffer's Quilt Room
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

The Display Case Held Ernest Hemingway's Autograph

One of my favorite photos was taken upstairs in one of the bedrooms.   There was a display case that contained a book from the Hotel Taube in Schruns, Austria.  This book was not interesting because it was an alpine skiing manual, but because it held Ernest Hemingway's autograph in the upper right corner.  The glass display case sits right under a window, which is why you see the curtain details reflected in the photo.

Alpine Skiing Manuel from Hotel Taube
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

Ernest Hemingway's Autograph
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

There were several other rooms in the home and I have lots of pictures, but I chose some of my favorites to share with you today.  Perhaps, one day soon you can tour the home for yourself and see it all in person.  

 

The Ernest Hemingway Barn-Studio in Piggott, Arkansas

Apparently, the upstairs studio of the barn was Ernest Hemingway's place of solace and the place where he went to write.  

Due to the time of day, I was not able to get a great shot of the exterior of the barn-studio.  As you can see, I was staring straight into the sun.  

Hemingway's studio was located up the stairs on the right.

Hemingway's Barn-Studio
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

I'm not pro big-game hunting and I really hated what I saw inside the studio.  It truly put a damper on my day and I admit, I stopped listening to the guide for a while.  However, I will still share the photos with you. 

Hemingway's Barn-Studio
Photo by Cynthia Sylvestermouse

No doubt, I would have been better prepared to hear the stories that day of Ernest Hemingway's life if I had read any of the books featured below.  

 Everybody Behaves Badly: The True Story Behind Hemingway's Masterpiece The Sun Also RisesCheck Price Ernest Hemingway: Selected Letters, 1917-1961Check Price The Best Friend I Ever Had: Revelations about Ernest Hemingway from those who knew himCheck Price Unbelievable Happiness and Final Sorrow: The Hemingway-Pfeiffer MarriageCheck Price

 

 

 

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Review of Small Town Fun in Conneaut Ohio

Conneaut West Breakwater Lighthouse

On our latest roadtrip we were traveling up highway 90 on our way from St. Louis, Missouri to Manchester, New Hampshire.  We have traveled that way several times as our son lives in NH.  I have noticed signs for the town of Conneaut, Ohio but never have stopped in the past.  This time I was needing a respite from the drive so we decided to stop for the afternoon.  I knew it was a small town so I was pleasantly surprised with all there was to see.  Here is a review of the sights we saw in Conneaut.

Lighthouse in Bay

In the photo at the top of this post you will see the unique lighthouse I photographed in Conneaut.  The walk out to the lighthouse was quite a hike, so instead I got out my tripod and long lens to photograph the lighthouse.

History

Conneaut is located on Lake Erie in the Northeast corner of Ohio.  As the town grew in the 19th century it became a point for shipping grain, whiskey and forest products.  In 1835 a lighthouse was built to facilitate ships coming into and out of the harbor.  Various improvements and changes were made to the lighthouse over the years.  In 1920 the old lighthouse was removed and the modern cement light we see today was built.  This light called the Conneaut West Breakwater Lighthouse, can be seen for 17 miles into Lake Erie.

Fun Watching Eagles

While I was photographing the lighthouse my husband got into a conversation with a local resident who was out on the harbor enjoying the beautiful day.  She saw my camera with my long lens (600mm) and told him about a place on the other end of the harbor where there was an eagles nest in an old tree.  We went over to that area and had a wonderful afternoon watching the eagles.  There were several juvenile eagles along with the adults.  In the third photo below, I captured an adult eagle pulling a fish from the water.

Covered Bridge

The map of Conneaut that I picked up showed a trail of covered bridges.  There were four in the area and we took a drive and found one that I stopped to photograph. The covered bridge that I photographed is called State Road bridge and it spans the Conneaut creek.  This bridge is 157 feet long and is a single span Town Truss bridge according to the sign on the bridge.  It was built in 1983.

Zazzle Products from my Photos

Fun in Conneaut Ohio Poster
by lighthouseenthusiast

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A Guide to France and a Review of It...Well, More Like a Love Letter!

Why I Love France! 

I'm traveling in Europe, and decided to spend a while in France. It's just as awesome as everyone says! Well not everyone thinks so, of course, and France has a reputation for being unkind to Americans, but my husband and I wonder why. Everywhere we go we are met with kindness and people go out of their way to help us.  This is a welcome change from our Italian experience!

Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Yes we loved Italy;  the ruins, the food, the art, the beauty, and everyone at all our hotels. But the average Italian on the street? Not so much. They all seem in a hurry, and not interested in helping anyone, let alone Americans who don't speak Italian. In fact they seem sort of angry. 

If we hadn't had our guidebooks, and my Google translator app for my phone, I think we would have been lost a lot more than we were. (We were totally lost several times in Florence and walked miles out of our way!) They are sort of rude, even to each other. Just not what I expected at all.

Like I said, the people in hospitality are generally nice. But don't get me started on the people at the train stations! (The ticket office people I mean.) At restaurants they can be either really nice, or really snotty. It's a toss up!

Florence, Italy

We Love France Even More Than Italy! 

But we love France! Everyone here seems generally happy and nice and they go out of their way to help, not just the hospitality people, everyone on the street. I had 4 different men try to help me with my luggage at the train station even when it meant they might miss their own train! And the station employees are also very nice and helpful. 

Our train to Lyon broke down so it was unavailable; a train employee cheerfully informed us they would find a solution, and they did!  20 minutes later a bus arrived to take us to Lyon and he drove like a madman to get us to the station on time to make our connection. (We barely made it!)  We were not even able to get to our correct car or we would have missed the train.  

I was worried after our Italian train experiences, but not to worry.  The French ticket agent just smiled and said no problem, you're on the train and that's what counts. So refreshing! All the people around us smiled and smiled. They even tried to talk to us and since I speak some French it was totally enjoyable. 

Saint Sernin Basilica, Toulouse, France

So here we are in Toulouse which is sort of like a mini Paris. It's called the Pink city because many if not most of the buildings are constructed from pink bricks. And it's breathtakingly beautiful too.  Since it's Christmas time, there are lights everywhere, and everyone seems to be in a great mood.  

But the difference between France and Italy  is that when French people hear us speaking English, they stop and tell us where to go for good food!  Ah, the French and their food. All I can say is the reputation is deserved. We love it! 

Jacobins Convent ceiling, Toulouse, France also known as the Palm tree ceiling

Before we left the USA, I checked out several travel books, and after my research I decided that the Fodor's ones are not only tried and true, but they are the most helpful for the kind of traveling we are doing; we don't have a schedule or a plan other than to stay where we like the vibe, and move on after we're done exploring. So if you're going on a trip, I highly recommend the Fodor's guides! We are using this one: 

 Fodor's France 2015 (Full-color Travel Guide)Check Price

But there are older ones available too, and of course guides for any country you can imagine.  So far every recommendation has been totally helpful and thorough. I don't think you can go wrong using a Fodor's Travel guide!

!  More countries coming up! Do you have a favorite European country? Let me know, as we are open to seeing new ones! 

All photos,© Heather Burns

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Photographing your Vacation

I recently took a course on travel photography and the instructor gave some valuable advice on taking photos when you travel.  He said the first thing you needed to do is to decide on the purpose of your photography.  He suggested three possible goals.

• Document your trip
• Document your destination
• Just take great photos

If you are looking to document your trip than you want to have lots of photos that include you and the people you travel with.  You would document what you are doing and with whom.  This is a very common form of photography for many amateur photographers, some of which only get out their camera out at vacation time. This is a great way to capture those memories to enjoy in the future.

Other people want to really capture the essence of the places they visit.  They will spend a lot of time making sure that they photograph all of the sites in the place they are visiting.

The third group is people who don't care as much about the documentation as they do taking great picks.  Many "Photo Enthusiasts" fall into this group.

Vacation time is a great time to take photographs and with a bit of advance research you can make sure you get some wonderful photos that will meet your photo goals.  Here are some things you should consider.

• Research your destination ahead of time. There are many great books on travel destinations at the library or you can research your location on the internet for lots of great information.  Find out about events or festivals that might be taking place when you are there.  Identify iconic structures that you would like to photograph.  Make sure you understand the weather and are prepared for it.  
• Pack you camera equipment carefully.  Make sure it is all in working order before you leave.  Bring extra batteries and memory cards.
• When you get to your destination talk to people about where you want to visit and places to photograph.  Some good sources of information are hotel lobby clerks, employees of restaurants and shops and cab drivers.  Be sure to check out the brochure racks in the hotels.  If you are driving I have found the the information centers as you enter each state are a great source of information.

Photos on this page are all from a trip I took to Jupiter Florida last March.  They show the three types of photography goals for travel.

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Travel Photography

Document Your Trip with Your Photos

Vacations tend to bring out the photographer in everyone.  Even if you don't normally take photographs when people travel they usually like to record memories with photos. 

When I travel I too love to take  photos.  I always want to make sure I get photos of the main landmarks of the places I visit, but then I also want to photograph details that I enjoyed about the place.  When I visited old Quebec city in Canada one of the things I really noticed was all the unusual window and door decorations. On this page Quebec City you will see how I used the photos of the windows and doors to make a photographic collage.  One of the things you do not want to forget on your travel photos is people.  Be sure to include those you are traveling with in at least a view of your photos.  I took this photo of friends in an entranceway in Quebec City.

Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia is well known for the lighthouse and I took hundreds of photos of the lighthouse.  Peggy's Cove  I also found the fishing boats and the rock formations to be interesting so I made sure to capture them in my photographs.

So next time you travel think about what photos really represent the place you are visiting.  Make sure you take all the popular shots.  After all you wouldn't want to go to Paris and not photograph the Eifel tower.  But then don't forget to get those unusual shots.  Look for the details that the place interesting and be sure to get some people in your photos too!

Be sure to share your travel photos in your writing.  Everyone like to see interesting photos, especially when you add a story with your photos.

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