Commercialization
In 1992, the Hemingway sons established Hemingway, Ltd. for the purpose of licensing their father's name and image. From this venture has come a vast selection of products.
Ernest Hemingway has his own line of clothing (pajamas too), furniture, hunting gear, fishing tackle, pens (he wrote in pencil), and an adorable teddy bear (manufactured by Boyds Bears) dressed in a hunting vest and hat and christened with the name, "Hemingway K. Grizzman." There is also a house design in Hemingway's name, and would you believe, a wallpaper in the so-called style of Hemingway. Other items that have been scheduled for possible release include pillows, desk sets, African masks, and picture frames. As Scott Donaldson notes in, Hemingway vs. Fitzgerald: The Rise and Fall of a Literary Friendship: "According to Marla A. Metzner, president of Fashion Licensing of America, thirteen separate manufacturers have opted to use Hemingway's name and image in connection with their products."
Moving onto the bookshelves: when it comes to biographies, Hemingway truly is "the undisputed champion." More than a dozen biographies have been written about him. Add to that, the dozen or so memoirs authored by close friends and relatives. The legacy that Hemingway himself would likely be most proud of is the fact that the majority of his work is still in print. Worldwide sales of his books show that he remains a powerful literary force.
