SOLD OUT! The tree is decorated and the stockings are hung, so Frances Glessner is planning a very special Christmas luncheon with the assistance of her favorite cook, Mattie Williamson, and you are invited. This year is extra special as December 7 is the Glessners’ 155th wedding anniversary!

Join us in the dining room and parlor for a variety of tasty holiday treats, inspired by actual menus prepared by Frances Glessner for her guests. The menu will include soup, a variety of sandwiches, and tempting desserts, accompanied by spiced cider and mulled wine.

During the meal, our curator William Tyre, will share stories about the Glessners’ 1870 wedding in Springfield Ohio, and their daughter’s wedding in 1898 which took place in the parlor of the house.

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 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, president of Friends of Historic Second Church.