David Ford works to preserve the Berman Collection in Anniston
David Ford stands in front of the Berman Museum in Anniston. (Karim Shamshi-Bashi/Alabama NewsCenter)
He was spying on her.
She was spying on him.
Time: 1941 – during World War II
Place: The North African theater.
The two eventually meet and, unlike James Bond movies, the ending is a surprise.
David Ford works to preserve the Berman Collection in Anniston from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
David Ford, the curator at the Berman Museum in Anniston, walked me around the impressive collection of ancient and modern weapons, bronzes, paintings and displays. Then he threw out the “spy” story. You could tell that was the highlight of his tour when a mischievous grin parted his lips.
“They met in World War II, Farley was an American spy, Germaine was a French spy. He was spying on her and she was spying on him. They fell in love and got married after the war, then came to Anniston where Farley grew up and spent a lifetime collecting. It took them about 40 years to amass the entire collection,” Ford said.
Farley and Germaine Berman bequeathed their collection to the city of Anniston in 1992, and four years later the Berman Museum opened in Lagarde Park.
Ford spends his days managing and preserving the collection that attracts thousands from around the world every year to Anniston. It includes a tea service of Adolph Hitler, a grenade launcher, an executioner’s ax, a belt with a pistol to kill whoever grabbed you from the back, and thousands of unique weapons and objects that span 3,500 years – from 1500 BC to World War II. The collection includes hundreds of bronzes and paintings by European and American artists, artifacts, Asian art and historical documents.
“Farley was born in Anniston in 1910. After returning here with his wife and amassing this impressive collection, he decided to keep it in Anniston. It includes about 8,000 items, including many personal belongings of Hitler, Mussolini, Napoleon and many others,” Ford said.
As I walked around the museum, I noticed torture tools, poison arrows, a pipe that is a gun, keys that are a gun, a flute that is a gun, and cough drops that are a gun. You read that right, these are cough drops that will kill you. But what really struck me was the volume of the collection.
When you normally enter a museum, much white space is given with scattered items here and there. Not at the Berman. Every inch of every wall is properly used to leave the visitor with an “awe” experience.
I asked Ford why he has stayed at the Berman for nine years.
“I’m here because I knew both Farley and Germaine. I think it’s important to preserve their legacy and to protect the gift they gave this area. The Berman collection is known all over the world, and Farley Berman loved to show it in his hometown,” Ford said.
My friend Derek Conrad Brown, who lives and works in Birmingham but has spent time in Anniston, was the one who alerted me to this story.
“The Berman Museum is an incredible treasure trove of fascinating artifacts and art, and one that could be in Manhattan or London,” Conrad Brown said. “It is of immense pride to Annistonians and people like me who lived in Anniston. When I visit the Berman, I think of one thing: This is a special place worth a visit that no one would ever forget.
“Oh, and by the way, Anniston is slightly closer than London,” he added.
After falling in love, like most happy endings, the two spies left a legacy Anniston can be proud of for the rest of time.
For information, visit http://www.bermanmuseum.org
Alabama Bright Lights captures the stories, through words, pictures and video, of some of our state’s brightest lights who are working to make Alabama an even better place to live, work and play. Award-winning photojournalist Karim Shamsi-Basha tells their inspiring stories. Email him comments, as well as suggestions on people to profile, at karimshamsibasha@gmail.com.
