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Friday, February 22, 2008
Waldo Peirce
WALDO PEIRCE was the type of character the Harvard Lampoon likes to claim. A Harvard classmate of the American Communist John Reed, Peirce once decided to travel to London with his classmate on board a cattle ship. Once the boat left the dock, however, Peirce decided the accommodations were lacking and dove overboard and swam back to Boston. Unfortunately for Reed, Peirce declined to tell anyone what he was doing, and when Price was nowhere to be found, the ship's captain threw Reed into the brig. Luckily for Reed, Peirce took a more comfortable boat to England, arriving in London just in time to save his friend Reed from standing trial for his murder.
According to Harvard Magazine, Peirce's friend Ernest Hemingway once asked his young son Jack, "Who is the greatest man you know?" — expecting to hear "Papa." Jack quickly responded, "It's Waldo."
Peirce was the son of a lumber baron in Bangor, Maine. My grandfather was in the paper business in Bangor, and became friends with Peirce. On March 6, we're selling two paintings Reed gave my grandfather. C'mon down.
February 22, 2008 in Culture, Personal | Permalink
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hi I am interested in Waldo Pierce paintings ,,do you still have those two paintings for sale ? thanks bill
Posted by: bill gallagher at Apr 12, 2008 10:50:46 AM
Wish you'd come to Sotheby's and bid the price up. :-) They sold, but for only $11,000, and I think they're worth more than that.
Posted by: john massengale at Apr 13, 2008 4:11:23 PM
Dear Bill,
I might sell a Waldo Pierce oil painting of a bouquet of flowers. Might you like to buy it? If so, please send your contact info to info@solver.com and please put at the start of your letter "Please forward this message to Hilary." Thank you.
Posted by: Hilary at Apr 17, 2008 2:47:17 PM
Bill,
Sotheby's now tells me the money for the self-portrait with family ($5,000), hasn't come in yet.
They're still trying to collect, but I don't know that I'm obligated to wait.
Posted by: john massengale at Apr 17, 2008 8:11:15 PM
Does anyone have any of his Key West work. Love this work, and think it is his best. I think his other work is lacking, and uneven. Heard he liked to paint, paint and paint. I guess he really got inspired only when Hemingway was around him.
Posted by: neil j. davis at Apr 25, 2008 12:29:14 AM
