Darrell Hartman
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History, men's style, adventure travel, fly fishing, hospitality industry, eco-travel and sustainability
Author of "Battle of Ink & Ice: A Sensational Story of News Barons, North Pole Explorers, and the Making of Modern Media" (Viking)
Articles by Darrell Hartman
Ian Schrager Still Has It
When Ian Schrager entered the hotel business in the early ’80s, creativity wasn’t the point. Predictability was paramount; hotel bars and restaurants were boring; and hotel owners pointedly ignored the latest in art, fashion, and design. Schrager changed all that with the 1984 opening of Morgans, a stylish rule-breaker that has come to be known as the first boutique hotel.
Saving the Wulff School: Preserving Joan Wulff's Legacy in the Catskills
The Wulff School of Fly Fishing is now owned by Beaverkill Valley locals Charlie VanDerCook and Paul Barnett. Sheila Hassan (shown here) is the school’s director and carries on the teaching traditions of her mentor Joan Wulff. (Peter Crosby photo) May 19, 2026 By Darrell Hartman On a June Saturday in the Catskills, Sheila Hassan—sleeves rolled up, hair in a ponytail—is demonstrating the mechanics of fly casting.
Book Review: ‘Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta,’ by John Boessenecker
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. nonfiction In “Bring Me the Head of Joaquin Murrieta,” John Boessenecker probes the life of a dashing (but human) Wild West legend. Joaquin Murrieta’s gang of rowdy pistoleros cut a bloody path through the Sierra Nevada foothills and into legend.Credit...The Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley Oct.
How Artists, Makers and Fisherfolk Are Still Shaping Midcoast Maine
All products and listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links. From the upper reaches of Mount Megunticook, I gaze out at the islands of Penobscot Bay. Cloaked in a fur of evergreens, some are long and irregular shards of rock; others are as round as gumdrops. Under raked strands of cirrus cloud, the wind scrawls patterns onto the sea.
Five Classic Alps Trips for Hikers in Europe
FURTHER AFIELD Five Alpine towns where you can travel to the top of Western Europe — and back into the Golden Age of Mountaineering Hiking toward Lac Blanc in Chamonix, France, the birthplace of modern mountaineering. Photo: Cassie Floto. Many of us hike to escape into nature, but one of the beauties of the Western Alps — that storied, snowcapped range shared by Switzerland, France, and Italy — is that the region’s centuries-old mountain culture rarely feels too far away.
Can pickleball become the quintessential NYC sport? These founders are banking on it
Until recently, David Friedman and his friends braved New York City parks and playgrounds to get their pickleball fix. They brought their own nets and line tape, avoided the broken glass, and adjusted to the weird bounces the ball took on cracked concrete. “We were competing with kids on scooters,” he says. Pickleheads in other cities think nothing of setting up on tennis courts, but Friedman knew better than to try that in Brooklyn. “Tennis players here will murder you,” he says.
Can pickleball become the quintessential NYC sport? These founders are banking on it
Until recently, David Friedman and his friends braved New York City parks and playgrounds to get their pickleball fix. They brought their own nets and line tape, avoided the broken glass, and adjusted to the weird bounces the ball took on cracked concrete. “We were competing with kids on scooters,” he says. Pickleheads in other cities think nothing of setting up on tennis courts, but Friedman knew better than to try that in Brooklyn. “Tennis players here will murder you,” he says.
Erling Kagge on the Tough Love Needed to Reach Both Poles on Foot
Thirty years ago, Erling Kagge became the first person to reach the so-called “three poles” — the North Pole, the South Pole, and the summit of Mount Everest — on foot. He now admits that he was partly motivated by “unsympathetic reasons” like competitiveness and thirst for recognition. That said, he got to know the ends of the earth — and extremes of human experience — in a way that few of us ever do.
The Zen of Salmon Fishing in Gaspé, Quebec
Twenty-four hours later finds us, somewhat unbelievably, on an upper branch of the Grand Cascapedia. This is coveted water, admission to which is extremely limited. Unless you’re spending the week at one of the Gaspé’s celebrated, century-old private lodges, gaining entry to the Grand’s prime salmon water requires both luck (for the lottery draws) and handiness with French-accented bureaucracy. And yet we’ve managed to score a slot on the Grand without either.
A Tour of London's Oldest Pubs
THE DOWNLOAD London’s centuries-old independent pubs — with their cask ales, brass footrails, tobacco-stained walls, and nary a TV in sight — face extinction. Our correspondent pulls up a stool at a few of the holdouts Some cultures commiserate at the saloon, the teahouse, the wine bar, or the café. In Britain, the dearest (and usually nearest) drinking establishment is the pub.
'Bandit Heaven,' by Tom Clavin Original
BANDIT HEAVEN: The Hole-in-the-Wall Gangs and the Final Chapter of the Wild West, by Tom Clavin Around 2 a.m. on June 2, 1899, the engineer of an eastbound train outside of Wilcox, Wyo., spotted someone waving a red lantern. As he braked, a masked man with a gun crawled into the cab from behind and said, "Now, you son of a bitch, do what I say, or I will put light through you!" The holdup man was Butch Cassidy. His lantern-waving accomplice was Harry Longabaugh, known as the Sundance Kid.
Country stars Eric Church and Morgan Wallen have big plans for ‘Field and Stream’—and they go well beyond a magazine | DeviceDaily.com
Country stars Eric Church and Morgan Wallen have big plans for ‘Field & Stream’—and they go well beyond a magazine July 07, 2024 The century-old magazine’s new owners are turning it into a lifestyle brand that appeals to hunters, fishers, Republicans, and Democrats. BY Darrell Hartman Many legacy periodicals that have survived the internet are husks of their former selves.
Colorado's Low-Key, High-Elevation Western Slope is Ripe for Adventure
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Colorado's low-key, high-elevation Western Slope is ripe for adventure Original
I am scaling 1,000 vertical feet of purple sandstone in Colorado's Sneffels Range and, despite being a nonclimber, feeling weirdly relaxed about it. The steep route is laced with a via Ferrata—the system, invented in the Dolomites, of metal handholds, footholds, and cables that climbers can clip into and follow all the way up. “Nose over toes,” my guide instructs—in other words, not pressed up against the rocky slope, as anxious greenhorns often are.
Country stars Eric Church and Morgan Wallen have big plans for 'Field & Stream'—and they go well beyond a magazine
Many legacy periodicals that have survived the internet are husks of their former selves. New owners come in, slash costs, and squeeze what revenue they can out of the title’s dwindling prestige, which often means canceling the print edition altogether. Some of these salvage operations make a historic media brand profitable; very few make it great again. Are the new owners of 128-year-old Field & Stream any different? They might be, and not just because they wear cowboy hats.
‘Fallen’ and ‘Everest, Inc.’: Walking to the Roof of the World
Why climb Mount Everest? “Because it’s there,” George Mallory famously said. Then he died trying. Copyright ©2024 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Three Perfect Days Alaska
By Darrell Hartman May 1, 2024 If television is to be believed, Alaska is reserved for tough mothers (in multiple senses) and survivalists. The truth, however, is that the Last Frontier rewards casual adventure-seekers, too—especially on the Kenai Peninsula. This comparatively accessible chunk of America’s largest state is home to bears, beluga whales, and icy-blue glaciers, but its proximity to the state’s most populous city, Anchorage, has also encouraged innovative new food and lodging options.
Fly Fishing the Land of Fire and Ice
Affiliate Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We earn from qualifying purchases. We had already waded a quarter-mile out from shore, and yet out in front of us, another huge swath of gray-green river awaited: more of the mighty Vatnamót, in southern Iceland, where my friend Ben and I were stomping through volcanic sand in search of sea-run brown trout. The river braided around sandbars at various crazy diagonals, and the horizon stretched in all four directions.
Book review: Propelled by polar exploration, ‘Battle of Ink and Ice’ examines the early 20th century’s media landscape
“Battle of Ink and Ice: A Sensational Story of News Barons, North Pole Explorers, and the Making of the Modern Media” By Darrell Hartman; Viking Press, 2023; 400 pages; $30. It was perhaps the biggest news story of 1909. Or perhaps it’s better said that there were two competitors for the biggest news story of 1909, both of them seeking the same headline.
Battle of Ink And Ice
Battle of Ink And Ice by Darrell Hartman Robert Peary is generally acknowledged to be the first explorer to reach the North Pole, but Frederick Cook also laid claim to this achievement. In this true story of the mystery surrounding the competing claims, both men were reported in headlines of competing New York newspapers as having achieved this honor.
Chasing the Literary Anglers and Legendary Tarpon of Key West
By Darrell Hartman August 25, 2023 “Welcome to warm weather,” a baggage handler says as I exit the plane after a three-hour flight from Newark. The arrival hall at the Key West airport has two mini-carousels for luggage, a rental-car counter, and a small bar outfitted with pre-made cocktail dispensers.
Literary Review of Canada
With hoopla and heroism, Frederick Cook and Robert Peary battled high winds, plunging temperatures, encroaching ice, and each other in their quest to be the first to reach the North Pole. And with hype and headlines, the New York Herald and the New York Times engaged in a parallel battle, to increase their presence and their power in a fiercely competitive Manhattan newspaper environment. None of them emerged unscathed.
Battle of Ink and Ice by Darrell Hartman is only $5.99 - BookBub
“Absolutely gripping… a perfectly splendid read—I highly, highly recommend it” -- Douglas Preston, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Lost City of the Monkey God A sixty-year saga of frostbite and fake news that follows the no-holds-barred battle between two legendary explorers to reach the North Pole, and the newspapers which stopped at nothing to get–and sell–the story.
The Arctic Feud That Divided America
Imagine the perfect island escape: far from everything, with clear blue water and soft white sand. Now add giant tortoises, smooth boulders rising from the sea and coconuts that will make you blush, and you have the Seychelles islands. You're not alone if you've never heard of this African nation, though you've probably seen its idyllic shores in Tom Hank's "Castaway" and on the cover of high-end fashion magazines.
The Arctic Feud That Divided America Original
On the surface, at least, the beef between Frederick Cook and Robert Peary was not political. Both men were turn-of-the century Arctic explorers, not presidential candidates, competing not for high office but for another coveted title: discoverer of the North Pole. Their feud began in September 1909, when both men returned from Arctic journeys claiming to have reached the pole. Peary, the more famous of the two, publicly accused his rival of lying.
The Invention of Objectivity Original
When Carr Van Anda joined The New York Times as its managing editor on February 14, 1904, the temperature inside the office dropped a few degrees—or so it felt. Van Anda, age 39, was a chilly newsroom presence, a formal man who wore rimless glasses and a stickpin through his starched collars. Times reporters lived in fear of his chastening glare.
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire Pledges Faster Debt Reduction
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire pledged to accelerate the pace of debt reduction, a week after the country’s credit rating was cut. “We have to reduce our debt, and in an accelerated way,” Le Maire said Friday in an interview on LCI television.
Aboard Seabourn’s New Expedition Ship, Navigating the Wilds of Greenland
The biscuit-colored mountains of Ammassalik Fjord, in southeastern Greenland, were patched with snow and wreathed in mist. It was spitting rain, and the turquoise waters were scattered with icebergs of fantastical shapes: One looked like a shark's tooth, another like a skate park, and another like an accordion, neatly pleated.
Aboard Seabourn’s New Expedition Ship, Navigating the Wilds of Greenland
The biscuit-colored mountains of Ammassalik Fjord, in southeastern Greenland, were patched with snow and wreathed in mist. It was spitting rain, and the turquoise waters were scattered with icebergs of fantastical shapes: One looked like a shark's tooth, another like a skate park, and another like an accordion, neatly pleated.
Aboard the New Seabourn Cruise Expedition, Navigating the Wilds of Greenland Original
The biscuit-colored mountains of Ammassalik Fjord, in southeastern Greenland, were patched with snow and wreathed in mist. It was spitting rain, and the turquoise waters were scattered with icebergs of fantastical shapes: One looked like a shark's tooth, another like a skate park, and another like an accordion, neatly pleated. The underbellies of these chunks of faraway glaciers were of the deepest, most delicious blue.
The Water Lover’s Ultimate Summer Escape Guide
For those who need water to breathe, summer is a time to take big gulps. As you plan to soak up what the natural world has to offer, you also want to pick your beaches, rivers, and lakes—and cenotes, waterfalls, reefs, and sea caves—carefully. Read on for a rundown of some of this summer’s most enticing waterside destinations and the most life-changing ways to immerse yourself in each.
Colorado’s Overlooked San Luis Valley Offers Scenic Desert With Artistic Flair
Before I ventured to the San Luis Valley last summer, almost everyone I told about my trip asked the same question: Why there? About three hours south of Denver, this high-desert region remains a blip on the tourist map. That may not be the case for long. Already a handful of new openings has raised the area's profile with visitors in the know. Most go to Del Norte, epicenter of the upper valley's low-key hipster revival.
The Most Over-the-Top Board Games In Existence
Tabletop classics are going upscale, as more discover the charms of low-fi entertainment that doubles as home décor. A cribbage set from designer Billy Cotton. Photo: Adrian Gaut By Darrell Hartman Nov. 11, 2021 8:32 am ET Board games have become a bigger part of social life since pandemic lockdowns forced millions to find novel ways of unwinding at home.
The Most Over-the-Top Board Games In Existence
Board games have become a bigger part of social life since pandemic lockdowns forced millions to find novel ways of unwinding at home. Indoor-amusement trends have dovetailed with the expansion of global fashion brands into home décor, producing a new batch of luxurious, limited-edition and redesigned classics.
Three Days in the Colorado Rockies — The Perfect Guide - Hemispheres
By Darrell Hartman September 1, 2021 Colorado’s alpine air may be thin, but its range of extreme-fun options is substantial. Rough-edged former mining towns have become sleek cycling hubs. The mountains are braided with world-class ski slopes and bubble with natural hot springs. And, given the smorgasbord of excellent food and lodging options, it’s no wonder this high-elevation outdoor playground has in recent years been soaring higher than ever. Now’s the moment to make the climb.
40 Previously Unseen Slim Aarons Photos, to Conjure the Vacation You Wish You Were On
The photographer Slim Aarons summed up his subject matter best: “Attractive people doing attractive things in attractive places.” His images were for decades a mainstay of Life, Holiday and other magazines and more recently have filled coffee-table books. Slim Aarons: Style (Abrams, $85) is the latest of these; out this month, it contains 40 previously unpublished images.
Following the Humpback Whale Migration off the Coast of the Dominican Republic
Thirty feet to starboard, a humpback is pounding out a message on the surface of the ocean. All we can see of the whale is her kayak-size tail, which she brings repeatedly down onto the water with a rubbery thwap. “She's soliciting a male, or telling us to back off,” explains Tom Conlin, our guide.
This Isn’t Your Dad’s Old Golf Course
One summer day in 2016, Taavo Somer was driving around the Hudson Valley in his Dodge pickup, scouting for locations for his next hospitality project: a small hotel with a restaurant, pool and farm shop that could serve as a hangout for both locals and weekenders. In Accord, New York, he passed a rolling swath of rural acreage dotted with drooping willows, with a view of the Shawangunk and Catskill Mountains. It was properly zoned for his purpose. Perfect, that is to say, in just about every way.
Why Men’s Watch Faces Are Getting Smaller
This past January, a senior Google executive spent $37,000 on a Patek Philippe Aquanaut from Tropical Watch, a San Francisco–based online dealer of vintage watches. Three months later, the Google exec sold the Aquanaut back to the vendor and bought an older model that was nearly identical, only smaller. “The new, cool thing to have is smaller,” says Tropical Watch’s owner, Jacek Kozubek. “This is happening all the time.”
Fly Fishing Tips, Gear & Destinations
Watch here! Lefty: The Greatest of All Time is Now Streaming on YouTube for free! The 44-minute feature film by Headwater Media Group was produced by Fly Fisherman with support from Bass Pro Shops, Costa, Yeti, and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust. Give it a watch! On Sale Now! Fly Fishing Made Easy for 2026! Packed with tips, tactics, and techniques from pros and Fly Fisherman magazine staff to get you on the water, get fish in your net, and get them released safely.
Why Cross-Country Skiing Will Be the Winter’s Coolest Activity
Contrary to cliché, cross-country skiing is not all about sweat and soreness. “There’s an incredible aspect of play in cross-country skiing,” says former U.S. Olympic gold-medal cross-country skier Kikkan Randall, 37. “You’re flowing across the countryside, you look at the terrain and see possibilities. I almost forget I’m out there training, or even exercising.” Randall, a pink-tipped blonde who has appeared in catalogues and videos for L.L. Bean, says that not everyone shares her rosy view.
Cipriani Bows a Private Club and Hotel-Go Behind the Scenes
The Battery Maritime Building is the last of New York City’s old East River ferry terminals: a beaux-arts building with the iron-and-glass look of 19th-century Paris expos, studded with rivets the size of macarons. After the structure’s completion in 1909, Brooklyn-bound commuters gathered there over the course of three decades until bridges and tunnels rendered ferry service somewhat obsolete.
The Joy of Trout Fishing in Patagonia
The helicopter threaded through a lush valley, over weathered small farms that broke up the landscape of evergreens and beeches like moth holes in a woolen coat. As the chopper swung around a shoulder of snow-patched mountain, a tiny lake came into view. About 20 minutes later, I was fishing that lake from an inflatable row boat that my guide, Arturo, had flown up with from Eleven Experience’s Rio Palena Lodge earlier that morning.
The Fly-Fishing Boom Is Finally Here
Late last year, Jonas Clark reached out to the owner of Vintage Fly Tackle, an online dealer of ultrafine rods, reels and other fly-fishing equipment coveted by the sport’s most ardent collectors. For weeks his emails and phone calls to the founder’s widow, Laura Siemer, went unanswered. Clark, 38, sent a handwritten letter in which he described his passion for bamboo rods and English-made Hardy reels.
These Catskills Inns Are Redefining the Popular NYC Getaway Original
From afar, my wife, Dana, and I must have looked like hotel guests in a huff. We were striding across the grass, arms pumping, as though off to report some customer-service outrage to the manager. In fact, we were on a pre-breakfast fitness walk—step one of our wellness regimen at Kenoza Hall, a new boutique resort in New York's southwestern Catskills.
Old Town: A Century of Maine Canoe Making
Top photo: Adam Osborne Photography by Greta Rybus Dave Cyr is one of the last tack spitters. For five years, starting in 2002, his job was to build the wood-and-canvas canoes that for many decades made Maine manufacturer Old Town a household name. Like his predecessors in the trade, Cyr would keep fistfuls of copper tacks—upward of 100 at a time—lodged in his cheek as he worked, plucking them off his tongue and hammering them into cedar planking.
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