In 1952, LIFE sent legendary photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt to Cuba to
shoot author Ernest Hemingway. The magazine needed photos to run
alongside a new novella that would run in LIFE before it was published
in book format. That book was "The Old Man and the Sea," and the issue
of LIFE where it was first printed went on to sell 5.3 million copies in
two days. For years afterward, Eisenstaedt would refer to the
experience of shooting "Papa" Hemingway as his most difficult assignment
ever. Recently, LIFE discovered these photos, all but two of which have
never been seen: LIFE's editors opted to print illustrations based
on the pictures rather than the pictures themselves. here
