By: Sophia Lian (A Roslyn Landmark Society High School volunteer)
Eugene Valentine Brewster, a legendary early Hollywood publisher, spent his fortune on properties in Hollywood and Long Island— including Chalet Des Lacs, a Victorian house in Roslyn Harbor. In fact, Chalet Des Lacs served as a site for the film magazine company that Brewster built. Brewster invited twenty-five ambitious actresses, selected by a Brewster's Motion Picture Story Magazine contest from among 100,00 entries, to stay at the home.
Before venturing into the entertainment magazine industry, Brewster dabbled in practicing law, painting, writing, and even played a role in the women’s suffrage movement. To start his involvement in film content production, which he grew to become fascinated by, he co-founded M.P. Publishing with James Stuart Blackton in December 1910.
M.P. Publishing made its first big mark by producing the first film magazine, The Motion Picture Story Magazine, for silent movies in February 1911. From the start, the magazine gained lively support from silent movie fan enthusiasts, with the publication providing inclusive short stories, photographs, guest columns, and intricate hand-drawn border detailing. The success of M.P. Publications expanded as they continued to establish successful film magazines that drew attention from the public, such as Motion Picture Classic and Shadowlands.
Eugene Brewster’s wealth and success in the industry began to dwindle due to his three divorces and ultimately crashed at the dawn of the Great Depression on Black Tuesday, when the stock market collapsed. Chalet Des Lacs marked a time of prosperity for Brewster in his role in the Roaring Twenties’ classic Hollywood film.
In an unfortunate fire sometime before 1950, Chalet des Lacs was destroyed, leaving only remnants of the original structure. However, the stories of its famous residents, including one of Roslyn's most renowned residents, Eugene V. Brewster, live on.
Sources:
“Mrs. Brewster May Sue.; Husband’s Purchase of Estate Starts Report of Higher Alimony.” The New York Times, January 6, 1924. https://www.nytimes.com/1924/01/06/archives/mrs-brewster-may-sue-husbands-purchase-of-estate-starts-report-of.html
Redmond, Jennifer. “Jennifer Redmond.” Chalet Des Lacs | Profiles | Roslyn Landmark Society, January 1, 1968. https://www.roslynlandmarks.org/profiles/chalet-des-lacs
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