Harry Benjamin Plaque
Silver City Museum Director Carmen Vendelin, standing in the museum courtyard by The Learning Tree, talks about Harry Benjamin's legacy as the founder of the museum.By Mary Alice Murphy
The Silver City Museum on Thursday, July 28, 2016, dedicated a plaque to the founder of the museum, Harry Benjamin.
Museum Director Carmen Vendelin thanked Syzygy Tile for creating the plaque.
Vendelin stood under The Learning Tree mural at the back of the museum courtyard. She said the previous museum educator had developed the idea for The Learning Tree. The tile leaves were made by younger children and installed by older children.
She said that Benjamin had also left his home to the Museum Society, and it is now in private hands.
"The museum building was still being used as a firehouse, when Harry began the museum," Vendelin said. "Then he was drafted and served in Germany for part of his time of service. Before he left for the service and after he came home, he lived upstairs in the building and used part of the museum as a studio."
She said that because funding was slim, Benjamin made do with panels to cover up walls, pine needles on the floor and other items to make things look better.
Vendelin said next year would be the 50th anniversary of the founding of the museum, and an exhibit, 50 Years ago in Silver City, will be the main attraction. In 2007, at the 40th anniversary, Benjamin's work was showcased.
She asked those who knew him well to tell their favorite stories.
A woman, named Angelique, said when she was a little girl, "I got to hang out a lot with Harry. I now bring back my kids and grandkids to visit the museum and courtyard where I had such good times."
Cecil Howard said: "I worked with Harry when we began the museum. When we moved to Silver City, we had a black cat, but when we moved to Glenwood, the cat didn't like the country, so we gave him to Harry. The cat lived in the museum, and sometimes, would get on the roof and be a gargoyle."
Susan Berry started at the museum in 1974. "At that time, Harry had Tigger, who had full roam of the place. One time, some Phelps Dodge bigwig wives were getting ready to honor Harry, when they discovered that Tigger had pooped in the pine needles. Tigger later went missing for a few days. It seems he somehow got into the building next door, which was the title company. On Monday morning, when they opened up, Tigger was rescued."
Catherine Bialopiotrowicz said she and Benjamin went on adventures together for the four or five years she knew him. "We loved hot springs and we shared a love for Sponge Bob. We used to put on our Sponge Bob pajamas and spend time together. He was my best friend."
David Berry, Susan's husband, said their son Andrew grew up at the museum. "He was the museum kid. He loved to go to Harry's. He thought everyone was artistically inclined like Harry."
Howard said their son and daughter were also close to Benjamin. "Harry and I were building exhibit cases out of found objects, like windows. Jacob, who was maybe 3 at the time, was inside a glass case with a hammer and nails working. People were amazed we let him do that. He is now a blacksmith, so he still uses a hammer. He is also a museum curator."