Clermont's Evening in Agra

Amy Krzanik reports from Germantown. As the sweet smell of incense wafted through the evening air, Friends of Clermont supporters mixed and mingled behind the mansion on August 9, taking in the view as the sun set over the Hudson River. The occasion was the historic site’s benefit, “An Evening in Agra," whose theme was inspired by Livingston descendant Colonel William Linnaeus Gardner, who moved to India at the age of 18 to seek his fortune. There, he married a princess and started a family. Decorations, courtesy of the M(Group), included brightly colored silk hangings, floating orange and yellow flowers, table arrangements and even matching hot pink and orange cups and napkins. Cocktails were provided by Crossroads Pub and Brewery and the evening was catered by Marianne Thorsen and Marianna Morrison, a Hudson-based chef who has appeared on the Food Network's Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. A successful silent auction allowed guests to wrangle for items such as a night's stay at The Barlow Hotel, a Modern Farmer gift basket, a tour of the Cooper Hewitt with one of its curators, and many other unique items. Funds raised go toward preservation of the site, as well as the many educational programs — such as the new community garden — offered to Hudson-area students throughout the year. Shown above: Carleen and Richard Baright flank Clermont Executive Director Conrad Hanson.

Delphine Murphy, Joe Versace, Pamela Murphy and Scott Frankel; Pamela Morin and Navin Sharma.

Board member Chelsea Streifeneder and Shannon Streifeneder, sisters and owners of Body Be Well Pilates; Robin Gottlieb, RI contributor Carey Maloney and Julie Seymour.

Michael Moy and Joe Sniado; Kirsten Bates, Anne McGrath and board member Glenda Law.

Graphic artist Soosie Lazenby, metalwork artist Sullivan Walsh, Revlon's Lucinda Treat and Adelia Geiger.

Photographer Valerie Shaff, with Livingston descendants Jennifer Ryan, Nicholas Kean and Robert Kean; Hilary Huntington and Jane Glucksman.

Clermont Board President Charles Geiger with Board Secretary Jim Joseph; Board member Don Westmore, Susan Karayannides and Adrienne Westmore.

Sullivan Walsh, Francine Hunter McGivern of CR10 Arts, and Daniel Rothbart; Karen and Rich Streifeneder.

Purcell Palmer, Charles Rosen of Harrison Travel, Lisa Fox Martin, board chair of The Thomas Cole National Historic Site, and Duke Dang of Dancers Responding to AIDS (DRA).

Board members Julie Seymour and Hermes Mallea; Patricia Rode, a speech language pathologist, with Brendan Kelly and Anne DiGiovanna.

Architect Chip Bohl, with Clermont's Board Vice President Mary Ellen Ross and Vern Bergelin; Steve Mosto with Monique Segarra, a professor at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy.