Pulitzer Prize laureate, Earnest Taylor 'Ernie' Pyle was an American journalist, who wrote as a roving Correspondent for the Scripps Howard Newspaper chain. It is these articles, in which he wrote detailed accounts of not just the Second World War, but more about the men who found it , that have carved him a permanent niche in hearts of his fellow Americans for generations to come.
His last home in Albuquerque, on the Girard Boulevard, was made into the Ernie Pyle Library, after his tragic death at the hands of a Japanese sniper in the final days of World War II. The library was opened to the public in 1948 and thousands of fans have visited it to pay tribute to the legend that was Ernie Pyle. Besides the books, the library also houses and displays Ernie Pyle memorabilia like photographs, manuscripts, news clippings, copies of Ernie's books, the gloves he wore through the Africa campaign and a bust of Ernie himself. The bathroom where his wife, Jerry, tried to kill herself has been converted into the periodicals and reading room. The living room is a veritable shrine of Pyle artifacts which include his hat, his goggles and even a replica of his typewriter. Pyle's bedroom is now used as the non-fiction area.
During the process of converting the house into the museum that it is today, careful attention was paid to preserve the distinct character of the house and its details, as it is the history behind the house that is its most significant feature. With this objective, the interior room configuration, the landscaping, the picket fence built by Ernie himself and even the grave marker of his dog Cheetah, have been meticulously preserved. The small library which is mostly used by the locals also enjoys immense popularity with tourists, with many visitors from the United States as well as many other countries coming to Albuquerque with the sole purpose of visiting the library/ house.
The Ernie Pyle library is also famed for its Picnic Storytime, when little children and their families are invited to listen to stories under the boughs of the sycamore tree. The picnic storytime sessions are conducted on Fridays at 11.30 am from the fourth of May onwards. The library is also the first branch of the Albuquerque / Bernalillo County Library System. For further information you can call 505-265-2065, or email epstf@albuq.rgv.lib.nm.us . The library is open from 10 am to 6 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11 am to 7 pm on Wednesdays.
The Ernie Pyle Library
900 Girard SE,
Albuquerque, NM 87106.
