Experience high Victorian tea in the historic dining room and parlor of Glessner House! These beautifully restored rooms serve as the perfect setting for this popular event, where attendees are treated to a traditional high tea with fine china, silver, and an assortment of delicious treats served in three courses - scones, sandwiches, and dessert.

Curator William Tyre will exhibit and discuss special objects from our archives brought out just for the event. Invite your mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, or good friend for what promises to be a most memorable experience. And men are welcome, too!

Just 30 spaces available per seating. Reservations required, as tickets sell quickly—don’t delay!

Join us in the beautiful home of The Fortnightly of Chicago for our annual gala, Celebrating Frances Glessner.

Frances Macbeth Glessner (1848-1932) was an extraordinarily gifted woman. Her talents ranged from embroidery to silversmithing, and jewelry making to beekeeping. An accomplished pianist, she and her husband John were among the most devoted supporters of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra during the first four decades of its existence, regularly welcoming the leading musicians of the world into their home.

The event, styled as a summer garden party, will include small bites and beverages, and the opportunity to tour the former home of Bryan and Helen Lathrop, an 1892 Georgian Revival masterpiece by McKim, Mead & White, which has served as the home of The Fortnightly since 1923. Frances Glessner was an active member of The Fortnightly for more than 50 years and presented the organization with a beautiful silver sweetmeat dish she handcrafted in 1905, which will be on display.

A brief program will include a welcome from the current president of The Fortnightly, remarks on Frances Glessner and her impact on Chicago, and the presentation of the annual John and Frances Glessner Award to Linda Miller, immediate past president of Friends of Historic Second Church.