Wingfield Heritage House Museum Opens New Carmon Phillips Exhibit

October 5, 2026 (RUIDOSO, NM) — The Wingfield Heritage House Museum is opening a new Carmon Phillips Exhibit, offering a look at Ruidoso in the 1950s through historic photographs of the people, places, and everyday life of the community.

The public will get its first look at the exhibit during the museum’s 2nd Anniversary Celebration on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. The free celebration will also feature live music, food, and activities as the museum marks two years of preserving and sharing Ruidoso’s history.

Ruidoso Through the Lens of Carmon Phillips

The new exhibit features photographs by Carmon Phillips documenting scenes from Ruidoso during the 1950s.

Among the images are a crowded Midtown Ruidoso in 1952; Skyland Auto Service, owned by O.A. Luallin, circa 1950; Lowell Morgan with a Lincoln County Mounted Patrol car in front of the old mill in 1956; and members of the Ruidoso High School Class of 1958 clowning around in their caps and gowns.

A 1956 photograph of Carmon Phillips in his studio also introduces visitors to the photographer behind the images.

Together, the photographs offer a visual record of Ruidoso more than 70 years ago and preserve scenes of community life that remain part of the Village’s history.

Carmon Phillips:

Black-and-white portrait of Carmon Phillips seated in his studio in 1956.

Midtown:

Black-and-white photograph of a busy Midtown Ruidoso street filled with cars in 1952.

Mounted Patrol:

Lowell Morgan standing beside a Lincoln County Mounted Patrol car in front of the old mill in 1956.

Class of 1958:

Ruidoso High School Class of 1958 posing playfully in graduation caps and gowns.

Skyland:

Black-and-white photograph of Skyland Auto Service in Ruidoso around 1950, with cars parked outside the station.

See the Exhibit During the 2nd Anniversary Celebration

The Wingfield Heritage House Museum 2nd Anniversary Celebration takes place Thursday, October 22, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at 2813 Sudderth Drive in Ruidoso. Admission is free.

For complete celebration details, visit:
https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/public-calendar/n8sw74ad6a27y6gxnblpsfddwmj94l

Learn more about Wingfield Heritage House Museum:
https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/wingfield-heritage-house-museum

About Wingfield House Heritage Museum

The Wingfield House Heritage Museum (WHHM) preserves and shares the stories of Ruidoso’s past. Housed in one of the community’s oldest landmarks, the museum offers exhibits and programs that highlight the region’s cultural and frontier history.

Website: https://www.ruidoso-nm.gov/wingfield-heritage-house-museum