MAY / JUNE 2021 The Bryant Library, 2 Paper Mill Road, Roslyn, NY 11576 516-621-2240 • www.bryantlibrary.org 2021/2022 Bryant Library Budget Message from the Board of Trustees On Tuesday, May 18, from 7 A.M. to 10:30 P.M. at Roslyn High School you will have the opportunity to vote on the Proposed Annual Bryant Library Budget for CRUCIAL the 2021/2022 fiscal year. The Library Budget will appear, as it does each year, as Proposition #2 on the Ballot. CONVERSATIONS This past year was not without its challenges due to the pandemic. The Bryant Tuesday, May 18 at Library was faced, for the first time in its history, with providing library service 7:00 PM Online while being fully remote. The role of the Library as a community center was more important than ever as staff reached out to patrons through phone, email and Our current socio-political climate Zoom. The goal of the Library was to help ease the stress of isolation felt by many has created an urgency amongst while continuing to provide resources to our patrons. people of every nation, language, As the Library continues to ease restrictions and open in a hybrid way, we background, race, religion, faith, continue to strive to balance the exceptional service you have come to expect with and ethnicity to share their stories the challenging economic climate. We continue to be a community center, wheth- and build empathy, kindness, and er you visit us online or in-person. As always, your safety and the safety of staff is our number one priority. understanding. The Bryant Library in collaboration with Pastor Victor The Library Board of Trustees has proposed a budget for 2021/2022 that is under the tax cap and reflects a 0% percent increase to the taxpayer. This will be Lewis from the Friendship Bap- the third year in a row with the same budget. tist Church will host a bi-monthly panel discussion to address topics The Board and Administration understand the concerns many of our residents have, and we continue to look for ways to increase service without having to put surrounding race and inclusion in an extra financial burden to the community we serve. Roslyn. Our May discussion will focus on current events and high- The Library’s budget is presented to the voters at the same time as that of the School District. However, The Bryant Library is a separate entity with its own bud- light Asian American experiences. get that is presented as a separate proposition. Special guests for the panel include On behalf of the Board of Trustees, thank you for your past support. The Bryant past Bryant Library Trustee Peter Library continues to be the hub of the community and your continued support is Liang and Matthew Lee from Cogni- more important than ever. Please make your vote count on Tuesday, May 18 at zant, where he acts as the executive Roslyn High School. Remember that support of the Library is Proposition #2 on sponsor for the global Pan Asian the Ballot. Affinity group. All are welcome to For voter registration and absentee ballot instruction, visit the Roslyn Schools join as an observer, participant, or website at www.roslynschools.org. If you have questions or seek more detailed contributor as we engage in crucial information, please call Library Director Victor Caputo at 516-621-2240 x 210. conversations that will help shape Bryant Library Board of Trustees the future of our community. FLIP TO PAGE 5 TO REVIEW THE 2021/2022 BUDGET. May / June 2021 • 1 The Bryant Library Local History Collection The Other Mrs. Mackay: Part II By Ariel A. Morabito, Archives Assistant As described in Part I of “The Other Mrs. Mackay”, the people who heard, smelled romance.” Though details sur- famous soprano Anna Case (c.1888 - 1984) became the wife rounding their relationship remain ambiguous, it was known of Harbor Hill’s Clarence H. Mackay in 1931 after the death and accepted that Clarence and Anna were together for many of his former wife, Katherine Duer years before their marriage. Newspaper reports written at the Mackay. Before this marriage, Case time of their wedding indicate that Clarence was a regular had an extensive career as a soloist visitor to Anna’s home on 92nd Street in NYC and that they at the Metropolitan Opera and as a were seen at the race track and other public events. recitalist who toured throughout the The formality of waiting until Katherine’s death to be United States and abroad. Several married is attributed to Clarence’s religious convictions as a scrapbooks full of news clips pertain- Catholic. The Modesto article indicates that ing to her performances and appear- “friends” knew of Clarence’s intention to ances were donated to the Local His- marry Anna however she is quoted as saying, tory Collection in 1995 as part of the “Certainly, I am not going to be married! Hechler Family Collection. Despite Music and matrimony, dear friends, will the extensive coverage Case received never mix!” A NY Daily News article about in print, articles did not delve into their wedding states that her conversion to her personal or romantic relationships. It was therefore largely Catholicism “excited comment” among Anna’s unknown outside of inner circles that she was the longtime friends “who knew of her friendship for mistress of Clarence H. Mackay of the Harbor Hill estate. Mackay and of his devout Catholicism.” A dedicated patron of the arts, Clarence Mackay was one A pre-wedding visit occurred “some four of the founding members of the Metropolitan Opera’s board days before Miss Case married Mr. Mackay,” of directors. It was there that he first saw Anna Case in a 1914 where Clarence’s “big Rolls Royce drove up to Miss Case’s performance of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Clarence’s divorce home in South Branch. Up to the handsome country house had been recently finalized and he was charmed by the beauty walked Mr. Mackay and Miss Case. Mother Case welcomed and talent of this “little newcomer from New Jersey.” Accord- them. There were iced tea and homemade cakes.” Plans for ing to an article that appeared in the Modesto News-Herald, the wedding were kept under wraps and both Clarence’s New Clarence invited Anna to perform at a Harbor Hill dinner York office and Harbor Hill dismissed or denied all inquiries party where he gave her a personal moonlit tour of his horses regarding the event. and gardens. “In that hour, people who knew the two well say, the romance began.” The article describes a later incident On the morning of July 18th, 1931 Anna Case became Mrs. when Clarence was in Ireland with his daughter, Ellin, and Clarence H. Mackay at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, “chartered a special train to take him to Dublin. Then he had a located on Bryant Avenue in Roslyn. The Mackay children specially chartered airship to take him to Paris” just in time to and their spouses, including Mrs. and Mrs. Irving Berlin, hear Anna sing at a church. were all in attendance, and Anna’s mother traveled from New Jersey. It appears that the wedding was an elegant but simple The same article speculates that Clarence was affair. According to the NY Times, “the altar at St. Mary’s instrumental in Anna’s performances of The yesterday was decorated simply with Star-Spangled Banner, writing that “he was Summer flowers. The bride wore a white director of dozens of patriotic undertakings, lace gown and white horsehair hat. She member of the reception committees that carried a bouquet of lilies-of-the-valley welcomed so many of New York’s distin- and orchids.” There was a light rain and guished guests, and whenever music was the couple walked under an umbrella to discussed, he always spoke up: ‘Why not the waiting Rolls Royce. The early time ask Miss Case to begin with the Star-Span- of 8 AM was apparently chosen to avoid gled Banner? Nobody sings it like Miss Case... the notice of townspeople: “the wedding Follow us on Instagram @RoslynLocalHistory May / June 2021 • 2 The Bryant Library Local History Collection party entered the church by a rear door to avoid attracting the notice of the townspeople. Most BRYANT SPOTLIGHT of Roslyn was asleep at the time Original Painting Donated by and the townsfolk were sorely disappointed when they learned Roslyn Resident, Freida Navarro the marriage had taken place and they had not had the oppor- Earlier this year, longtime Bryant Library patron Freida Navarro donated one tunity to attend.” of her original paintings to the Library. Ms. The bride and groom and Navarro is a lover of nature and states that their families returned to Harbor the painting, “Girl with Geese,” was in- Hill for a wedding breakfast. The spired by the Duck Pond in Roslyn’s Gerry evening before there had been a Park. A former yoga teacher, Ms. Navarro dinner for the estate workers. The next day, they were photo- started painting in her 50s, following graphed while attending morning services at the same church completion of an interior design program where they had been married the day before. For a wedding at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University. A happy resident of Roslyn for gift, Clarence gave Anna a stunning emerald and diamond forty years, Ms. Navarro is “grateful for all the pleasure necklace which she bequeathed to the Smithsonian Institution. the library has given me.” By all accounts, their marriage was a happy one.