Glessner House

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

Online auction
Our annual online auction opens today, June 1, at 9:00am CDT, and will close on Monday, June 8 at 5:00pm CDT. The auction includes 35 items ranging from a two-week Rome vacation to the use of the elegant Glessner House dining room for a private dinner, plus a variety of tours and experiences, sports memorabilia, dining and lodging, and more! Visit https://www.glessnerhouse.org/2026-gala-online-auction to view the items and place your bids. Good luck!


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05/29/2026

Photo Friday
This week’s Photo Friday shows a detail from the Steinway & Sons piano located in the parlor. The Model C semi-concert grand piano was the second largest size produced by Steinway. Francis Bacon of A. H. Davenport & Co. designed the mahogany case, which features inlaid wood and mother-of-pearl, as seen in this image of the center of the fallboard, located over the keyboard.

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05/27/2026

Century of Progress:

The Century of Progress World’s Fair opened in Chicago on May 27, 1933 – 93 years ago today. The Fair was located along the lakefront south of downtown. This aerial view shows a portion of the fairgrounds; Glessner House is located in the upper lefthand portion of the image at Prairie Avenue and 18th Street, the latter being one of the main entrances into the fair. As estimated 22.5 million people attended the fair that year.

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05/25/2026

Memorial Day:

In honor of Memorial Day, we present this Revolutionary War marker which is located on the grave of William Wood (1736-1806), one of Frances Macbeth Glessner’s great-grandfathers. Private Wood served in Captain Jacob Cisna’s Company in the 2nd Battalion from Washington County, Pennsylvania. He is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Whiteley Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania, beside his wife Margaret who died in 1846 at the age of 101.

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05/22/2026

Photo Friday:

This week’s Photo Friday celebrates National Preservation Month with this view of the parlor restoration in 2011. The canvas wallcovering, shown here during installation, was recreated by Grammar of Ornament in Denver, Colorado, using two different stencils and exactly replicating the seven layers of metallic paints and glazes used by the original artist, William Pretyman, in 1892.

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05/20/2026

Arts and Crafts Architecture

Don’t miss our next online program – tomorrow, Thursday May 21 at 7:00pm – when author and historian Maureen Meister discusses her newest book, Arts and Crafts Architecture across America. Meister presents buildings that reflect Arts and Crafts ideals in distinctive ways that connect them to the movement’s major themes, such as Gustav Stickley’s Craftsman Farms, shown here. Purchase tickets online at https://www.glessnerhouse.org/events/arts-and-crafts-architecture.

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05/18/2026

International Museum Day
Today is International Museum Day, celebrating the role museums play in cultural exchange. This image shows a model of Glessner House on display at Casa Vicens in Barcelona, Spain, regarded as the first major project of architect Antoni Gaudi. The caption for the model reads: “Although this is not the first house Richardson built, he designed it with the clear intention of making it his manifesto house. It is the most relevant example of his Romanesque style, and it establishes connections with Gaudi’s beginnings.”

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05/18/2026

We concluded our spring salon concert series this afternoon with "La Belle Epoque," a wonderful performance exploring the beauty of French art song. Our deepest thanks to the wonderful artists (L-R) - Evan Bravos (baritone), Andrea Baker (soprano), and Nicholas Pothier (piano).

05/17/2026

Classic Chicago Magazine published an article today about our 60th anniversary, the release of our new guide book (the first ever!), and our upcoming gala on June 7. Read the article at

On Wednesday, April 29, more than 100 friends of Glessner House gathered to celebrate its first sixty years. The event, which took place in the restored coach house, was an opportunity to thank the countless individuals, foundations, and companies who have supported the organization since it was for...