Bernice Dixon: Visionary for Hemingway Memorial

Bernice Dixon: Visionary for Hemingway Memorial. . Bernice Dixon arrived in Key West in 1937 with her husband, Ralph Dixon, a bridge engineer. They fell in love with Key West, and Bernice opened The Beachcomber Jewelry Store on Duval Street in 1938., A very astute and successful businesswoman, Bernie's vision was to evolve the Beachcomber's handmade crafty line of merchandise into a high fashion jewelry and giftware store. She personally trekked through New York factories and convinced manufacturers that Key West would buy their sophisticated merchandise., Ernest and Pauline Hemingway became Mrs. Dixon's most famous customers., Mrs. Dixon purchased the former home of her famous customers in a silent auction after Hemingway's death in 1961. The home was her private residence until 1964 when she moved into the rear guest quarters and opened the main house as a museum and memorial to the life and times of Ernest Hemingway., Mrs. Dixon's diligence garnered widespread recognition for the home as a National Historic Landmark registered with the National Park Service, and as a designee in the Historic American Buildings Survey archived at the Library of Congress. Her legacy continued beyond her life when the home became a Literary Landmark of America in 2010. , (captions) , (left) Bernice Dixon (R) with Master of Ceremony Joe Allen (L) cutting the grand opening ribbon for the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, 1964. , (right) "To be successful in business, go into somethingfor which there is a need. be sure to offer great customer service. Be prepared to sacrifice a lot of your time, and enjoy what you are doing. Then it won't be hard work." -interview with Key West Citizen, 1968