Pauline Pfeiffer

Pauline Pfeiffer. An American journalist and fashion editor, she is most widely known as the second wife of novelist Ernest Hemingway. Their relationship, which began while he was married to his first wife Hadley Richardson, was a central drama of the Lost Generation expatriate scene in 1920s Paris. Pfeiffer's own career at publications like Vogue and her affluent background from St. Louis provided crucial financial support during Hemingway's early literary development, though her legacy remains deeply intertwined with the dissolution of his first marriage.

Early life and family

Born in Park Grove, Iowa, she was raised in a prominent, wealthy Catholic family in St. Louis. Her father, Paul Pfeiffer, was a successful businessman, and her uncle, Gus Pfeiffer, a prosperous pharmaceutical manufacturer, would later become a significant patron to Ernest Hemingway. She attended the University of Missouri School of Journalism, a notable program that produced many accomplished journalists. After graduation, she moved to New York City, embarking on a career in journalism that would lead her to work for influential magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue. This professional path and her family's social standing placed her within sophisticated cultural circles well before her arrival in Paris.

Relationship with Ernest Hemingway

Pfeiffer met Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley Richardson in Paris in the mid-1920s, quickly becoming a close friend to both. The friendship evolved into a romantic affair between Pfeiffer and Hemingway, a turbulent period later chronicled by Hemingway in his posthumously published memoir, A Moveable Feast. The love triangle culminated in Hemingway divorcing Richardson to marry Pfeiffer in 1927. Their wedding was held in Paris at the Église de la Madeleine. The couple had two sons, Patrick Hemingway and Gregory Hemingway. They lived for extended periods at Hemingway's home in Key West and traveled together on hunting trips to the American West and safaris in Africa, which inspired works like Green Hills of Africa. The marriage ended in divorce in 1940, following Hemingway's relationship with journalist Martha Gellhorn.

Career in journalism and fashion

Before and during her marriage, Pfeiffer maintained an active career as a journalist and fashion editor. She was a staff writer and editor for Vogue in both Paris and New York City, covering fashion, society, and culture. Her work provided a substantial independent income, which was instrumental in supporting Hemingway's writing before he achieved major commercial success. Her professional network and sense of style also influenced the couple's social life and public image. While her career is often overshadowed by her association with Hemingway, her position at a leading publication like Vogue marked her as a successful professional woman within the competitive media landscape of the era.

Later life and death

After her divorce from Ernest Hemingway in 1940, Pfeiffer largely retreated from public life. She retained custody of their two sons and focused on raising them, dividing her time between Key West and California. Her later years were marked by personal challenges, including the mental health struggles of her son Gregory Hemingway. She maintained a residence in Los Angeles and was reportedly working on her own memoirs, though they were never published. Pfeiffer died suddenly from a suspected hemorrhage related to a tumor on October 1, 1951, at a hospital in Los Angeles. She was interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Legacy and cultural depictions

Pauline Pfeiffer's legacy is inextricably linked to literary history and the biography of Ernest Hemingway. She is a pivotal figure in narratives of the Lost Generation, often portrayed as the "other woman" who broke up Hemingway's first marriage, a characterization explored in works like A Moveable Feast. Her role has been examined in numerous biographies, including those by Carlos Baker and James R. Mellow. In popular culture, she has been depicted in films and series about Hemingway's life, such as the miniseries Hemingway & Gellhorn. Recent scholarship has sought to provide a more nuanced portrait, highlighting her professional accomplishments at Vogue and her crucial financial and emotional support during the creation of some of Hemingway's seminal works, including A Farewell to Arms.

Category:American journalists Category:1895 births Category:1951 deaths