Tag: Laya Machat-Smyth

Laya Machat-Smyth (Revisited)

January 16th, 2024

Even with the work on Sonia’s autobiography all done, I am continually learning more about Sonia. Just when I thought I knew her, something re-emerges in my searches—a piece of letter, a single statement—that I’m prompted to reanalyze my perception of her. In June 2023, I wrote a piece about Sonia’s childhood friend, Laya Machat-Smyth, and while at the time of writing that post, I believed I had divulged all there was to tell in that matter. However, as I have delved further in Sonia’s essays and letters, I began to see old materials in a new light.

To be more specific, it was the second postscript of a letter which brought an all new emphasis on her friendship with Laya:

Transcription:

P.P.S Dr. Machat (the dentist) and his sister (now Mrs. Smyth) live in Santa Barbara. Before I beame [sic] real sick, each—at different times—came to get me and have me stay at their homes sometimes weekends; but Sadie Machat as we used to call her, now Mrs. Smyth, sometimes kept me on a visit for a week.

Her husband is an Entomologist. For many years I lost track of them, but when I came to Irene’s First wedding, in ’47 I went to visit Dr + Mrs. Machat and learned that the Smyths were in Calif. that he was at the Los Angeles Museum.

Before that they were in Peru where he had a yearly contract for nine years, trying to destroy some sort of bug that ravished and destroyed many fruits and vegetables. They were given a well-furnished house and a maid. Mrs. S, having nothing do, sang for the “Lima Opera Co.” For six years after they left Peru, he worked in the Los Angeles Museum. They lived in Hermosa Beach for a few years, then built themselves a lovely home on top of a hill in Sta. Barbara, a very interesting residence. They came to see me at Magdas and took me to dinner. Dr. Machat sent me a small radio; also “Only in America” by Harry Golden, and recently he subscribed to a periodical, “Carolina Israelite” by Harry Golden, for me. On my birthday, they took me to dinner.

S.

The letter itself and the first postscript of the letter is missing. It isn’t even clear to whom Sonia was writing to, but we can only speculate given by the correspondents whose letters contained the most autobiographical writings. Leonore Goldberg is certainly the highest possibility, with her father and mother, Sidney and Florence Moseson, coming in second, and Mrs. Christine D. Hathaway coming in third. These individuals were plainly interested in Sonia’s life, and they wished to learn more about it. The majority of her autobiographical writings were presented to Leonore and to her parents. However, what had not been shared with them, Sonia revealed to the Special Collections librarian, Christine D. Hathaway. It is unclear if Brown University, or at the very least Christine, had promised to publish some sort of biography on Sonia. What’s clear is that Christine requested autobiographical information from Sonia, and collecting it for whatever reason:

My following remeniscences [sic] will shock and surprise you, but, I do not think any of this belongs in the Biography…
Sonia to Christine, October 8, 1968, p. 2, Autobiographical Writings, Box 9, Folder 1, John Hay Library.

The following I do not remember whether I had unfolded to you, or not. You may use it, if you think it good enough.
Sonia to Christine, October 8, 1968, p. 4, Autobiographical Writings, Box 9, Folder 1, John Hay Library.

As per your request, I am sending you my half-brother, Sidney’s biography.
Sonia to Christine, Mar 7, 1968, p.1, Box 1, Folder 1, From S.H. Davis 1944-1970, John Hay Library.

Christine and Sonia began corresponding in 1968 after Sonia had sent several literature materials of Nathaniel’s to the John Hay Library. Much of the rare tidbits of Sonia’s life were disclosed in these letters over the year. All of the Florence Carol Greene excerpts in the autobiography were extracted from Sonia’s letter to Christine on October 8, 1968.

No letter to Leonore, Sidney and Florence Moseson mentions Florence or their troubled relationship, and one could argue that perhaps Sonia didn’t think it was necessary to rehash a family matter because they already understood the conflict firsthand. Yet, to Christine, Sonia elaborated on Florence’s moments of adolescent innocence and moments of young adult rebellion. Once the autobiography is published and released, only then can the reader really know the amount of autobiography that was drawn out from their letters together.

And thus, to any one of these individuals, Sonia felt the need to explain her reuniting with Laya through her brother Dr. Julian (Jules) Machat in 1947. It’s no secret that Sonia had her moments of great extravagances. It was in her nature to be go all out, so to speak, in any occasion that involved guests and friends.

In addition to being an extremely personable woman, she was a rare cook, and displayed magnificent hospitality to club members. On at least one picnic she had brought an entire stuffed and roasted turkey to be cut up among the members and guests. Such generosity made some of our conservative members a little uneasy, but the dinners she gave to the club in her home were the really dazzling events.
Rheinhart Kleiner, “Discourse on H. P. Lovecraft” in Lovecraft Remembered, ed. Peter Cannon, p. 161.

As she got older, Sonia enjoyed hosting concerts to celebrate or to raise funds for organizations that were dear to her. In another fragmented letter, which is undated, Sonia revealed that Jules had attended one of her concerts with his nephew.

Transcription:

I used to invite Dr. Machat; he came once with his nephew, and when he saw the singers and dancers, he asked: Where do you get such talent. [sic] I told him she is my friend, she has her musicians—who pay her when they receive jobs, etc etc

It’s unclear if this nephew was Laya’s son. No record has emerged to confirm if Laya ever had children, and Sonia neither revealed as much, nor elaborated on the identity of his nephew. While the date of this particular concert is unknown, in 1954, Sonia had hosted a concert in her home, after recovering from an illness. Laya and her husband, Eugene, attended it. Sonia introduced many of her friends, but when it came to introducing her childhood friend, the bond between these women was undeniable. Both Laya and Jules had attended Sonia’s concerts, and while we only get Jules’ surprised reaction to the talent, it’s certain that Laya was equally amazed, being the fact, she was an opera singer.

The beauty of scholarship (if you can call it beauty) is that information is always updating.

Certain facts I might’ve thought and stated as true a year ago are now likely outdated or even incorrect because of perspective and new materials which have emerged over time. Much of this is the case with this subject. In my previous post, I had stated that Laya had two older siblings. That was incorrect, and the fact is Laya was the oldest, and Jules was the youngest. The source I originally used was the 1910 census, in which “Sadie” (which we now know was Laya’s nickname) was given the estimate birth year of 1887, which in 1910 would have made her twenty-three years old.

Laya’s actual birth date was May 18, 1890, therefore making her twenty years old in 1910. Shortly after her birth, her parents emigrated to America, specifically to Brooklyn, N.Y. Fortunately, the census does have the correct year of when they settled in Brooklyn. Another questionable thing about this census is her occupation. She was a teacher at a public school, which isn’t anything out of the ordinary, but it does make me wonder if she was doing this job while she prepared on the side to become an opera singer? For in 1911 through 1915, Laya had claimed to have lived in Italy. (FamilySearch)

In some ways, this census is conflicting in regard to Laya, and even in regard to Jules. The census states he, too, was an immigrant. However, another census reveals he was born in N.Y., which would technically be correct unless Laya and Jules were twins.

While this new evidence may not seem much, it’s ultimately another puzzle piece to the friendship of Sonia and Laya. Even if it’s a tiny piece—every little bit helps to ultimately complete the picture. Sometimes even just correcting a piece that was wrongly placed is progress. Revisiting this friendship is always a wonderful thing, for I’m able to see that even when paths vastly diverge and each person follows their own dreams and goals, a true friendship will always meet again and be able to pick up the pieces as though time had never came in between.

It’s reaffirming of how much Sonia felt at home with the Machat family. Whether it was Jules or Laya, Sonia bonded well with these siblings. The Machat family was a foundation for Sonia at a time when her mother wanted to keep her, but her stepfather forced her out. It is evident in the way that Sonia spoke of the Machat family that their love and home had been a safe space in which Sonia would always count on in times of trouble.
Laya Machat-Smyth: A Girlhood Friend.

June 13th, 2023

While transcribing Sonia’s essays, I feel as though I am learning more about her than when I first began her autobiography. This is not in any way to discredit the autobiography, for it’s indispensable, and it holds information that hasn’t seen publication. However, Sonia gave away special little tidbits of herself in the essays that she did not share in her autobiographical writings.

In the beginning of this month, I was transcribing an introductory speech for a celebration that Sonia was hosting after recovering from a six-month long illness. The celebration was held on Sunday, October 24, 1954, and as for the illness she might have been alluding to, was her broken hip. The speech is only four pages long, typed on very small paper. In it, she introduces quite a number of her personal friends, all of whom are very talented singers, artists, and theatre actors. One friend, however, is especially dear to Sonia: Laya Machat-Smyth.

While each one of you is a very dear friend of mine, I must speak of one who was my very first and best after I had left my girlhood home. In fact we were like sisters. Her good husband, after many years of association with the Los Angeles Museum as a scientist, has very recently retired. Besides his vocation as an outstanding scientist in his own field of science his AVOCATION lies in the realm of art; specifically in architecture and construction; his cultured wife, my girlhood friend, is a former Grand Opera star. She was the Diva of the San Carlos Opera Co., The Mexican, and the South American Opera Companies. She too, is now retired. Permit me to introduce Dr. Eugene Graywood Smythe [sic] and his good wife, Laya Machat Smythe. [sic].
Sunday, October 24, 1954.

Laya Machat was born in Ponyri, Russia on May 18th, 1890. Her parents were Max Machat and Fanny R. Machat, and at some point, after Laya’s birth, her family immigrated to New York. Max Machat became a dry goods merchant in Kings County, Brooklyn, supporting his wife and children. Laya had two older siblings, Sadie S. Machat and Jules Machat. In the 1910 census, Sadie and Jules were still living with their parents. At the time of the census, Sadie was a teacher at a public school while Jules was unemployed. Sadie was twenty-three years old, while Jules was twenty-one.

Interestingly enough, Laya was not recorded in that census and can’t be found in any other during this time. According to her request for a passport in 1917, she claimed to have lived in Italy from 1911 through 1915, which could very well be the reason why she was not in the 1910 census.

Laya’s passport application. Source: FamilySearch

Although before leaving for Italy, Laya was Sonia’s first and best friend. Originally, I believed Sonia meant Ukraine when she referred to her “girlhood home”, but upon reflecting on her adolescent years as she wrote them, what she actually meant was her stepfather’s home. Mr. Solomon Moseson was Racille’s (aka Rachel) second husband, who she married after living in New York for nearly two years.

Mr. Moseson had three children of his own from a previous marriage, but he genuinely disliked his new stepdaughter. According to her recollections of her stepfather, he harassed Sonia and sought to make her life miserable even while she was sick. Mr. Moseson was eager to send her out and work—and it got so bad that Sonia was forced to live with a nearby family when she was thirteen.

A friend of Racille’s said she would take Sonia into her home until both the friend and the mother could decide what was best for the child. Because after all, Racille could not leave her husband and take care of the children also. Yet whenever Mr. Moseson went on his trips which usually lasted about ten days, Sonia would come back home such as it was, and when the husband was expected, she would hie back to Mrs. Balch. This lady was a widow who had a very large house and a family to match. The youngest daughter, Eva, a girl about the same age as Sonia, was studying music. She and Sonia became very good friends..
Two Hearts That Beat as One, Chapter 8.

Side Note:

I searched through genealogical records in hopes of finding the Balch family. The effort produced one name: Mrs. Josephine Balch. She was a widow, and she had a daughter named Margaret June Balch. They lived in Pennsylvania though, and at some point, between 1920 through 1930, they moved to Elmira. Regrettably, they are not the family that Sonia had moved in with.

Another possibility is Eva could very well be Laya. The surname Balch has a strong visual similarity to Machat, and Sonia was notorious for changing people’s names, i.e., “Stanley Greene” for Samuel Greene and “Samuel Morris” for Solomon Moseson. Moreover, Laya went on to pursue music as a career and was also the youngest of the family.

After her millinery apprenticeship, Sonia went to live in Passaic, New Jersey while Laya seemed to have remained in Brooklyn all through her adolescent years and young adulthood. Sonia was sixteen when she moved in with Samuel in 1899, which would have made Laya nine years old. It does make me wonder if Sonia ever vented to Laya about her marriage to Samuel while in the midst of it.

Eugene Graywood Smyth and Laya’s record of matrimony. Source: FamilySearch

Laya studied music and became an opera singer. She traveled and performed in various locales outside of the United States. On March 9, 1916, Laya married Eugene Smyth in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Eugene Graywood Smyth was born on July 28, 1886, in Topeka, Kansas. He, too, was the youngest, having an older sister, Edna M. Smyth, and a brother, Charles Smyth. In the 1900 census, his father was a widow, while Edna was already twenty-six years of age, Charles was twenty-three, and Eugene was fourteen. The census also shows Bernard B. Smyth, Eugene’s father, as having worked as a librarian while his son Charles worked as a printer. Eugene ultimately became an entomologist, traveling for his work.

Eugene’s passport application. Source: FamilySearch

Sonia left New York for Los Angeles on January 6, 1934, in what she believed to be only a vacation. Loving the climate and city, she decided to remain. She met Nathaniel A. Davis late in March of 1936 at a Board of Education lecture, marrying him on April 7, 1936.

Sonia is number twenty on the passenger list. Source: FamilySearch

Nathaniel and Sonia’s marriage certificate. Source: FamilySearch

Eventually, Laya relocated to Los Angeles as well. By the 1940 census, Eugene and Laya were already living in Sonoma, California. Prior to Sonoma, they had lived in South America. In 1950, Eugene was still working as an Entomologist, which by 1954, Sonia would then introduce him as recently retired from this field.

We can only hope, once living in Los Angeles, Sonia and Laya resumed their sisterly bond as it was when they lived in New York. It is rather sad that as much as Sonia considered Laya as a sister, so little was spoken of her. If it weren’t for this small four-page introduction at a party, we never would have known of Laya Machat-Smyth, specifically of her close relationship with Sonia. Perhaps, once I’ve gone through Sonia’s personal correspondence, we will find more pieces of this friendship.

After Sonia’s celebratory event, information about Laya becomes scarce once more. Sonia would sadly pass away on December 26, 1972, while Eugene Smyth would pass away on July 30, 1975. It is fascinating to see how these best friends, regardless of the different paths they took, their fates inevitably linked again in the end. Their adolescent friendship stood the test of time and proved that when a friendship is true and sincere, it doesn’t matter whether time and space separates them, best friends will always pick up precisely where they left off.