Pauline presenting an award to long-time docent Bob Irving at the 50th anniversary gala held in 2016

This issue of The Glessner Journal is dedicated to the memory of Pauline Saliga, who passed away on September 11, 2022, after a brief illness. Pauline served as the executive director of the Society of Architectural Historians and the Charnley-Persky House Museum Foundation for 27 years, until her retirement at the end of August. A life-long Chicagoan, she earned degrees in art history and museum administration at Northern Illinois University and the University of Michigan.

After serving as assistant curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art for three years, she accepted the position of Assistant Curator of Architecture at the Art Institute of Chicago, continuing in that role until moving to SAH in 1995. During her time at the Art Institute, she organized numerous exhibitions and catalogs, including Fragments of Chicago's Past, a permanent collection of architectural fragments around the central staircase.

Pauline served on the Glessner House board from 2006 to 2018. A public memorial service will be planned for a future date.

ONLINE:
Native Truths - Our Voices, Our Stories
Tuesday, November 1
7:00pm CDT

On January 1, 1906, Frances Glessner received an extraordinary birthday gift: a large leather-bound calendar containing entries from family and friends – one entry for each day of the year. The entries ranged from intimate family messages to quotes, sketches, and musical fragments from social and cultural luminaries. Among all these incredible entries, one cryptic message stands out: a verse from the Quran and two lines of French poetry (one of them intentionally misquoted), contributed by Isabella Stewart Gardner of Boston. Gardner, affectionately known as “Mrs. Jack,” was a larger-than-life character and a patron of artists, writers, and musicians. Her lasting legacy is the museum she created in Boston.

This presentation will explore the course of the friendship between Mrs. Jack and Mrs. Glessner, from their meeting in the 1880s, until they drifted apart two decades later. The presentation will include glimpses of the musical and cultural scenes in Chicago and Boston, as well as an interlude at The Rocks, when Gardner visited the Glessners at their summer estate. Through personal correspondence, historic photos, and archival material from the Gardner Museum, this program will offer a chance to discover the lives of these two amazing women.

The program will be recorded and all registrants will receive a link to the recording, which will remain active for seven days.

FINAL COURTYARD CONCERT FOR 2022
Second City Jazz
Wednesday, September 28
5:30pm

Pack your picnic basket, grab your blanket and chairs, and chill your favorite beverages, it's time once again for Courtyard Concerts at Glessner House.

Second City Jazz, which has performed straight ahead jazz for Chicago area audiences for over 13 years, is looking forward to their return engagement at Glessner House. Pianist Jonah Orlofsky and bassist Chris Nemeth will be joined by Tommy Bradford on saxophone and Brian Koch on drums, playing the music of Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Miles Davis, and more.

Doors open at 5:30pm, concert begins at 6:00pm. Seating is not provided. The music will be performed in two sets and will conclude by 8:00pm. In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be moved into our coach house.

Our Courtyard Jazz Concert series is generously underwritten by a grant from Lakeside Bank.

What on Earth does geology have to do with the world-renowned architectural masterpieces of the Windy City? Raymond Wiggers, acclaimed author of the guidebooks Chicago in Stone and Clay and Geology Underfoot in Illinois, explains the fascinating and often surprising links between science, art, and engineering in this general-interest survey of Chicago’s most famous buildings, the materials they are made of, and the soil, clay, and bedrock they are anchored in.

In this richly illustrated talk, Wiggers provides fresh perspective on both the vast sweep of geologic history and the origin and use of ornamental brick, terra cotta molded and fired by skilled local artisans, and a rainbow spectrum of cut and polished stone - stone of which is over three and half billion years old. Special emphasis is placed on such well-known landmarks as the Chicago Water Tower, the Wrigley Building, Glessner House, Second Presbyterian Church, many of the Loop’s skyscrapers, and a wide selection of interesting sites in the city’s outer neighborhoods, from Pullman and South Shore to Rogers Park and Sauganash.

The program will be recorded and all registrants will receive a link to the recording, which will remain active for seven days.

A SPECIAL FUNDRAISING EVENT!
A Celebration of Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Saturday, October 22
4:30 - 7:00pm

The great Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski made his first appearance in Chicago in 1892, exactly 130 years ago. He returned frequently, performing his Piano Concerto in A minor to open the concert series at the World’s Columbian Exposition in May 1893, and making numerous appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

This exclusive fundraising event will include a reception and remarks by curator William Tyre, who will speak about the relationship between Paderewski, Theodore Thomas, and the Glessners. The centerpiece of the event is a concert of Paderewski’s works performed on the Glessners’ 1887 Steinway piano, which Paderewski played during his visits to the house.

The concert will be offered in two seatings at 5:00 and 6:00pm and will last approximately 45 minutes. Seating is strictly limited.

Shadows on the Street:
Haunted Tours of Historic Prairie Avenue
Friday and Saturday, October 28-29
6:30 - 9:30pm

34th Annual Edgar Allan Poe Readings
Saturday, October 29
Readings at 5:00 and 8:00pm

Squirm in your seats as actors from Lifeline Theatre present readings of Poe's terrifying stories and poetry. Hear classics like The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart, as well as some of Poe's lesser known works. This is an extremely popular event and people return year after year, so don't wait, tickets sell out fast! Not recommended for children.

COVID-19 POLICY
Please note that Lifeline Theatre requires that all attendees wear a face mask and provide proof of current COVID-19 vaccination upon arrival.

Last month, we introduced a delightful paper, A Summer with Birds, Bees and Blossoms, which Frances Glessner prepared for a presentation at The Fortnightly of Chicago in November 1903. Recording the idyllic summers spent at her beloved summer estate, The Rocks, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, she focused on her keen observations of the endless varieties of birds which called the estate home (the topic of Part I), and her many years of caring for her bee colonies (the topic of this article).

ON THIS DATE
A curated review of significant events on this date through history, with a focus on those which took place within the lifetime of the Glessners.

1896 - Suicide of Edson Keith
The Glessners' friend and Prairie Avenue neighbor, Edson Keith, committed suicide on this date in 1896. Keith was one of three brothers, all of whom resided on Prairie Avenue, who owned and managed Keith Brothers, one of the largest millinery firms in the United States. For a period of time prior to his tragic demise, Keith had been suffering from devastating headaches, resulting in insomnia.

On the morning of September 21, 1896, at about 6:00am, Keith dressed and quietly slipped out of his home at 1906 S. Prairie Avenue. He walked north, past Glessner House, to 16th Street, where he turned east and headed toward the lake, intent on taking his own life. He encountered some workers on the Illinois Central tracks, who, sensing his intentions, believed they had talked him out of his plans. As they returned to work, Keith turned south along the lakefront until he was out of view, at which time he carefully removed his coat and hat, laid them on the shore, and plunged himself into the lake.

The family was alarmed to note his absence when they awoke that morning, and reported him missing at noon that day. They feared the worst, well aware of the toll his health issues had had on him. It was not until the next day, however, when his brother Eldridge (whose home still stands at 1900 S. Prairie Ave.) read about an overcoat and hat found along the lakeshore, that the pieces started to come together. He examined the items along with Edson's two sons, who confirmed the hat and coat belonged to Edson Keith.

A widespread search of the lake was undertaken, but Keith was not found until Wednesday, the lifeless form located just ten feet from where the hat and coat had been seen, his body lodged in between the pilings. For two days, the sad case had captured the attention of Chicagoans, being featured on the front page of all the major newspapers.

1897 - "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" editorial published
Arguably the most famous editorial ever published in an American newspaper and certainly the most reprinted, "Is There a Santa Claus?" addressed the age old question of the existence of Santa Claus. It appeared in New York's The Sun on this date exactly 125 years ago today.

The editorial was written in response to a letter written by eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon (seen above) in which she noted that her father stated that "If you see it in The Sun it's so." It was penned by Francis Pharcellus Church, although his identity was not disclosed until after his death in 1906.

In addition to the oft-quoted line, "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus," the editorial closes with these iconic words:
"You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.
"No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood."

Church's editorial has been translated into 20 languages, and adapted as a film, television specials, a musical, and a cantata.

Hurricane%20damage%20at%20The%20Rocks.jpg

1938 - The Great Hurricane of 1938 makes landfall in New England
The Great Hurricane of 1938 (storms at the time were not named as they are today) slammed New England on this date; it remains the deadliest and most powerful hurricane to ever hit that part of the U.S.. Property losses were estimated at $306 million (nearly $5 billion in today's dollars), including extensive damage to the Glessners' summer estate, The Rocks, shown above.

The storm originated off the west coast of Africa and by the time it approached the Bahamas on September 20, it had increased to a Category 5 hurricane. Unusual weather forced the deadly storm directly north at a forward speed of 70 miles per hour, the highest forward velocity ever recorded for a hurricane. The western edge of the hurricane hit the New Jersey coastline and New York city by early afternoon on September 21. The eye made landfall at Bayport near the center of Long Island just after 3:00pm. It continued into Western Massachusetts and by 6:00pm had reached the southern portions of Vermont and New Hampshire. It continued north, crossing into Quebec by 10:00pm.

The storm devastated the New England forests. Nearly two-thirds of the felled trees, representing 1.6 billion board feet of lumber, were eventually salvaged through the Northeastern Timber Salvage Administration (NETSA), specifically created in response to the hurricane.

Just over 500 acres of forested land at The Rocks were blown down or severely damaged, resulting in a net loss to the estate of at least $25,000. Many of the downed trees, including white pine, fir, spruce, and balsam, were eventually salvaged and sold to NETSA. Nearly three dozen shade trees were also lost on the property surrounding Frances Glessner Lee's home and gardens.

The Glessner woods had long been considered a beauty spot in the North Country, as noted in this October 1 letter to Lee from State Senator John B. Eames:

"I personally, and I know many others, have felt that the great damage in the so-called Glessner Woods was a loss not only to you but to our entire community. Many times I have traveled with visitors to this section and always they have remarked that it was one of the beauty spots from Boston to Littleton . . . I have noticed you and Mr. Sullivan are beginning to bring order out of chaos and I know that in time all the wounds of this disastrous storm will be healed and we can once again point with pride to your achievement."

COLLECTIONS CAMEO
Portrait of Savonarola

Girolamo Savonarola was born in Ferrara, Italy in 1452 and was ordained as a member of the Order of Friar Preachers in 1476. Six years later, he was sent to serve as a teacher at the Convent of San Marco in Florence. He was outspoken in his views about clerical corruption, the exploitation of the poor, and the evils of secular art and culture. A Savonarolan political party, known as the Frateschi, established a republic, after the ruling Medici family was expelled.

He defied Pope Alexander VI by continuing to preach under a ban and was excommunicated in 1497. The Pope threatened Florence if they continued to harbor Savonarola, and he was eventually imprisoned and tortured. On May 23, 1498, he was hanged and his body was burned, the ashes scattered in the Arne River to prevent his followers from searching for relics.

His beliefs in republican freedom and religious reform lived on in many parts of Europe, influencing Martin Luther amongst others. Writings and sermons were later published and widely circulated, inspiring the fight for Italian independence in the mid-19th century.

During the Glessners' one-and-only trip to Europe in 1890, they visited the Museo di San Marco to see the cells where Savonarola had been imprisoned. They also purchased their copy of George Eliot's Romola, a historical novel in which Savonarola has a significant role.

In early 1891, the Glessners' good friends, Charles and Frances Hutchinson, set sail for an extended trip to Europe. Later that year, Frances Glessner received her portrait of Savonarola from Frances Hutchinson, accompanied by a note:

"My dear Mrs. Glessner,
When I was in Paris this Spring, I ordered this head of Savonarola for you and it is just framed and ready for your approval. Mr. Hutchinson thought he remembered you expressing a desire for one and I only hope someone else has not been more expeditious in gratifying you."

The original portrait upon which this copy is based was painted about 1498 by Fra Bartolomeo, an Italian Renaissance painter who came under the spell of Savonarola in the 1490s, leading him to become a Dominican friar. The copy, which measures just 3-1/2" by 4-1/2", is finely detailed, capturing the intricacy and coloring of the original, but with an influence of the late 19th century.

The portrait can still be seen in its location on the bookcases along the west wall of the library, exactly where Frances Glessner originally hung it.

The page for September 22 was submitted by Anna Wilmarth Thompson, and features a (now-faded) photo of her with her two children, Frances and Wilmarth Thompson, who also signed the page.

Anna was born in 1873, the daughter of Henry Wilmarth, a manufacturer and organizer of the First National Bank of Chicago, and Mary Jane (Hawes) Wilmarth. Mary was a progressive women's activist, and a colleague of Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, serving as an original trustee of Hull House.

In 1893, Anna started classes at the University of Chicago, where she met and later married a young history professor, James Westfall Thompson. They had two children before divorcing in 1909. Two years later, she married attorney Harold L. Ickes, with whom she had two additional children.

Anna Ickes was involved with the Women's Trade Union League (her husband was legal counsel), and she was known to often post bail for young women arrested during Chicago strikes. In 1910, she joined Ellen Gates Starr in the picket line during the garment workers' strike against Hart, Schaffner, and Marx.

In 1924, she was appointed by Governor Len Small to fill a vacancy on the board of trustees for the University of Illinois. Later that year she ran for, and won, the position, serving until January 1929. The previous year, she successfully ran for the state legislature, easily winning reelection in 1930 and 1932. Committee work included civil service, education, charities and corrections, and industrial affairs.

During the 1930s she focused considerable attention on the culture, archaeology, and welfare of Native Americans, having previously served on the board of the Indian Rights Association of Chicago. She was particularly interested in the cultures of the Navajos and Pueblos in New Mexico, and published Mesa Land in 1933. During a trip to New Mexico in 1935, she was killed in an automobile accident.

Her husband was appointed Secretary of the Interior by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933; he served in that role until 1946, instituting much of FDR's "New Deal" and taking charge of the Public Works Administration.

This past weekend, Geoffrey Baer and four other members of the Docent Class of 1987 gathered for their 35th reunion. Among the stops was a visit to Glessner House, where they received their intensive training on the house and Chicago architecture, launching Baer's career as a popular host of numerous programs focusing on Chicago history and architecture for PBS station WTTW. It was a pleasure sharing the house with them and hearing their thoughts on how the house and neighborhood have changed since they first encountered it 35 years ago.

Our newest puzzle features a charming trade card issued for Pyle's Pauline, an all-purpose cleaner manufactured by James Pyle of New York in the early 1900s. The back of the card notes:
"Pyle’s Pearline will wash clothes, will clean house - will do it well - will save you time, labor, wear and tear; will reduce drudgery; will not hurt your hands, your clothes or paint; and besides will cost you no more than common bar soap.”
Play Puzzle

High Holiday Services at the beautiful Glessner House
Join us as we celebrate the High Holidays at the historic Glessner House!
Services at Chabad of South Loop are warm and welcoming and feature inspirational commentary and melodies.

The High Holidays are a powerful time of connection and meaning. There is no charge to join, but space is limited so it is recommended to RSVP as soon as possible. Full schedule of services available online. Registration is required.

Donations to Glessner House are always welcome. Consider a gift to our Annual Fund, an important source of revenue to maintain our operations and our landmark building, or to a special project of particular interest.

Become a member or renew your membership to receive valuable benefits and show your support for Glessner House.

In addition to our popular Morris face masks, which remain available, our online store offers a variety of branded merchandise and publications that provide the perfect way to learn more about Glessner House and its many rich stories.
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