LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending the Cayuga Museum upon the occasion of
celebrating its 80th Anniversary

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that the quality of
life of the citizens of the State of New York is greatly enriched by its
exceptional cultural, educational and recreational institutions; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
the Cayuga Museum upon the occasion of celebrating its 80th Anniversary;
and
WHEREAS, After Theodore Case and his wife, Gertrude, donated their
estate to Professor Walter Long, the Cayuga Museum opened its doors to
the public for the first time on October 13, 1936, in order to establish
a permanent home for arts and culture in Auburn, New York; and
WHEREAS, Since then, the Cayuga Museum has become focused on the Case
Research Lab and the history of Cayuga County and the Finger Lakes
region; and
WHEREAS, The Cayuga Museum presents changing exhibitions, public
programs, and serves hundreds of researchers annually on three floors of
the historic Willard-Case Mansion; its dedicated staff cares for thou-
sands of artifacts, archives and photographs from Cayuga County and the
Finger Lakes region, as well as the complete archives and collections of
the Case Research Lab; and
WHEREAS, The Case Research Laboratory was founded by Auburn natives,
Theodore Willard Case and his father, Willard Case, in 1916; it is on
this site where the first commercially successful system of sound film
was invented; and
WHEREAS, The Case Research Lab Museum showcases the working spaces of
the darkroom, chemistry lab, and recording studio, the first sound
camera, experimental recording equipment, and a history of the commer-
cialization of sound film including such ventures as Phonofilms, Fox-
Case Movietone, and Fox Films (now 20th Century Fox); and
WHEREAS, The research, restoration, and interpretation of the build-
ings and archives of the lab began in 1990; since then, a great deal of
history has been unearthed from dozens of notebooks, thousands of pages
of correspondence, and many other lab archives; and
WHEREAS, The interpretation of the Case Research Lab's place in histo-
ry continues to be an ongoing process; with the completion of the newly
renovated carriage house, now named Theater Mack, the Museum is looking
to the future and a large scale redesign of the exhibit to include Theo-
dore Willard Case's sound studio on the second floor of the carriage
house; and
WHEREAS, Completely renovated in 2011, Theater Mack combines the charm
of the 19th Century carriage house it once was with exquisitely designed
modern amenities; the main floor features a beautiful ballroom, stage
and bar, restored 1850s carriage doors, hardwood floors, bead board
paneling and luxurious velvet floor-to-ceiling curtains; and
WHEREAS, Throughout its eight decades of existence, attendance has
waned; in hopes of attracting new visitors, the Cayuga Museum underwent
a makeover, installing new track lighting and chandeliers and uncovering
its original hardwood floors, and hosted a Kids Day event on February
20, 2016; and
WHEREAS, The Cayuga Museum also plans to garner information from the
residents of the region about what they would like to see at its facili-
ty by hosting public forums, appearing at school meetings, visiting
other local museums, and conducting an online survey; and

WHEREAS, Moreover, the Cayuga Museum will introduce several new and
exciting exhibits which will be of great interest to the people of
Auburn and Cayuga county as a whole; and
WHEREAS, The lead exhibit of 2016 will be "Cops and Robbers: Law
Enforcement and Sensational Crime in Cayuga County", which will explore
the history of the county's seven police agencies, as well as stories of
memorable local crimes; and
WHEREAS, The second exhibit, "Visit Your Museum: A Look Back at the
Art and Culture Clubs That Defined Us" will feature the many clubs and
organizations which helped create the museum and met regularly there in
its early day, such as the Daubers Club, the Cayuga County Historical
Society, the Auburn Camera Club and the Cayuga Valley Model Railroad
Club as well as many more; and
WHEREAS, Opening in conjunction with "Visit Your Museum" is the Auburn
Photography Club's "Circle of Confusion: Three Exhibits, One Focus"
which includes new images by the club alongside old ones unearthed from
the Museum's archives; in addition, miniature cars from the Cayuga
Valley Model Railroad Club will be on display; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, the Cayuga Museum and Memorial City Hall have
teamed up to showcase rotating small exhibits which highlight the histo-
ry of both Auburn and Cayuga County; some of these exhibits include
objects and photographs related to Cayuga County veterans, and local
investors; and
WHEREAS, The Veterans' exhibit will highlight items from hundreds of
men and women from Cayuga County who served in the War of 1812, World
War I, World War II and the Vietnam War, including a group of men who
were among the first to land on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in
1944; and
WHEREAS, The exhibit will also feature two prominent residents, Major
General John P. Herrling, who served 35 years on active duty, including
two combat tours in Vietnam where he received numerous awards and acco-
lades for his meritorious service; and Charles D. Osborne, a member of
the 103rd Infantry, 26th Division of the United States Army, a founding
member of the Cayuga Museum and Mayor of Auburn; and
WHEREAS, Through these interesting and nostalgic displays and staying
true to its educational mission, the Cayuga Museum hopes to spotlight
its place in the community and open a dialogue about what the public
wants from it in the future; and
WHEREAS, Under the luminous direction of Executive Director, Eileen
McHugh, the Cayuga Museum strives to provide a forum for the public to
realize, interact with and appreciate Cayuga County's shared past and
.SO DOC S R5586 RESO TEXT 2015
unfolding present to help shape a better future; and
WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body that when insti-
tutions of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be recognized and applauded by all the citizens of
this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend the Cayuga Museum upon the occasion of celebrating its 80th
Anniversary; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Eileen McHugh, Executive Director, Cayuga Museum.