All that glitters IS silver

On Saturday December 14^th, the museum opened the newest restored space on its public tours – the dining room silver closet.  This space, located to the left of the fireplace in the dining room, had served as a simple storage closet since the Glessners died in the 1930s and was in need of some attention.  Thanks to a generous anonymous gift to the museum’s 125^th anniversary fund, the space has been restored to its original appearance, and now showcases pieces from the Glessners’ large collection of silver. 

The restoration involved the work of several talented craftsmen:

Historic paint analysis – Robert Furhoff

Oak-framed glass enclosure – Kevin Welter

Lighting consultant – Peter Hugh

Electrical – Block Electric

Wood refinishing – Lee Redmond

Painting and wall repair – Shamrock Decorating

The display in the silver closet will change from time to time, as there are many more pieces of silver in the museum collection than can be displayed at any one time.  These include pieces owned by John and Frances Glessner, items owned by their daughter Frances Glessner Lee, and a wonderful collection from the Fisk-Botsford-Harvey family that moved into their nearby home at 2100 S. Calumet Avenue in 1885.  The display will also include several silver bags from Marshall Field and other dealers from whom the Glessners purchased their pieces.  Silver items would have typically been stored in the closet in bags such as these to prevent tarnishing.

Three items that will remain on permanent display in the closet are among the most special in the entire museum collection.  These three pieces were handcrafted by Frances Glessner in her silversmithing shop located in the basement of the house, directly beneath the dining room.

We know from her journal that she began doing her silver work in late 1904.  An entry dated October 28, 1904 reads “I went to call on Mrs. Wynne to arrange to take lessons in metal work.”  Mrs. Wynne was Madeline Yale Wynne, a highly talented metal worker and a charter member of the Chicago Arts and Crafts Society, founded at Hull-House in 1897.  (For more information on her, see the blog article dated August 29, 2011).  Frances Glessner also took lessons from Annibale Fogliata, a metal smith who taught at Hull-House.

She had her first lesson from Mrs. Wynne on November 29^th and soon after made the salt cellar shown above as a gift for her husband.  The inscription on the underside of the piece reads “Made by F.M.G. for J.J.G. Dec. 25^th 1904.”  It is one of the three pieces now on display in the silver closet, all of which display her trademark features – simple clean lines and visible hammer marks across the surface.

The largest piece on display is a calling card tray, measuring 8-1/2 inches in length and featuring simple curved sides.  For many years, the tray sat on the drum table in the main hall, allowing lady visitors to leave their cards when paying a call. 

The third piece is a charming silver bowl with an elegant scalloped edge.  Frances Glessner made the piece for her youngest granddaughter, Martha Lee, born in November 1906.   The inscription reads “Martha Lee from FMG.”  All three pieces were donated to the museum by this granddaughter, later Martha (Lee) Batchelder.

Frances Glessner’s silver mark features her initial “G” encircling a honeybee, the symbol of another of her favorite hobbies – beekeeping.  She actively pursued her interest in metal work for about a decade – making countless pieces and expanding to make jewelry as well, usually long chains set with semi-precious stones.  Her journal is full of letters from thankful recipients, and it appears that most, if not all, of the members of her Monday Morning Reading Class were among those to receive one of these special hand-made gifts.

Today, this exhibit of her silver work is another way in which we can interpret the life of this most fascinating individual.

The Crafts of Frances Macbeth Glessner

Frances Macbeth Glessner (1848-1932) was a talented woman, proficient in a number of crafts both traditional and non-traditional for the period in which she lived.  In addition, she was an accomplished pianist. 

She produced enormous quantities of fine embroidery work, in many cases using designs specifically created for her by family friend Isaac Scott.  Several examples of her needlework are on display in the museum including table runners and bedspreads.  John Glessner said of his wife, “Indeed there was nothing she could not do with her needle.”  Frances Glessner was an excellent knitter as well, making countless sweaters, scarves and hats for the male employees at her summer estate, The Rocks, and for servicemen during World War I.

As an early and prominent member of the Society of Decorative Art, formed in Chicago in 1877, Frances Glessner conducted classes in wood carving (probably learned from Isaac Scott) and took classes in hammering brass.   (The organization was the forerunner to the present Antiquarians of the Art Institute).

In November 1904, Frances Glessner began taking lessons in metal work from Madeline Yale Wynne, a distinguished metal worker and important proponent of the Arts and Crafts movement.  (She was one of the 126 charter members of the Chicago Arts and Crafts Society when it was founded at Hull-House in 1897).  Mrs. Glessner also took lessons in metal work from A. Fogliati, an instructor of metalwork at Hull-House.

She set up a silversmithing studio in the basement of her home (see photo at the top of the article), where she fashioned silver bowls, pitchers, and saltcellars.  Many of these were given away as gifts, including the bowl and spoon pictured below, now owned by a private collector.  Her pieces featured simple lines and often visible hammer marks, making them excellent examples of Arts and Crafts metal work. 

As her silver mark she chose a honeybee (she maintained a number of beehives at her summer estate) set within the letter “G.”

In addition to silverwork, she also made numerous pieces of jewelry, typically long chains into which she would set semi-precious stones.  Her journal is full of letters from appreciative recipients, indicating that her output was significant.  The example shown below is now in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

An unknown talent of Frances Glessner until recently was her ability as a china painter.  China painting was a common hobby for women of the period, and again many of the pieces would be made as gifts.  The bowl shown below, featuring a bird’s nest set amongst roses and cherry blossoms was given by Mrs. Glessner to the wife of the Glessner’s chauffeur, Swan Johnson.  It was returned to the house in 2010 through a friend of the Johnson family.

Considering the enormous quantity of items produced by Frances Glessner through the years, from embroidered textiles to hand-painted china pieces, and from silver work to jewelry, it is clear that she rarely if ever let her hands go idle.  The museum is thrilled to have this record of her works, as one more way of understanding this extraordinary individual.

Madeline Yale Wynne

On October 28, 1904, Frances Glessner recorded in her journal: “I went to call on Mrs. Wynne to arrange to take lessons in metal work.”  She had her first lesson in silver work on November 29, and soon after fashioned a salt cellar which she presented to her husband as a Christmas gift.  The salt cellar, pictured below, is engraved “Made by F.M.G. for J.J.G. Dec. 25^th 1904” and is now in the collection of the museum.  Frances Glessner vigorously pursued her hobby for more than a decade, producing countless pieces of silverwork, most of which were presented as gifts to friends and family.

Frances Glessner’s teacher, Madeline Yale Wynne, was a distinguished metal worker and important proponent of the Arts and Craft movement.  She was born in Newport, New York in 1847, the daughter of the inventor of the Yale lock.  Her father possessed considerable artistic aptitude as a miniature painter, and as a child, Madeline spent countless hours in her father’s garden-studio.  She studied painting at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and later attended the Art Students’ League in New York, before advanced studies in Europe. 

Widowed at a young age, Wynne came to Chicago in 1893 and took up residence with her brother Julian in his home at 9 Ritchie Place (current address would be 1311 N. Ritchie Court).  The home soon became a Mecca for true lovers of art and literature, and the “imposing dowager” presided over a distinguished salon of Chicago artists and literati.  She and her brother also created a home workshop where they began producing unique and fascinating items of silver and jewelry.  Wynne’s designs, which frequently included enamels and semi-precious stones, were entirely original and usually featured obvious hammer marks (a trademark of Frances Glessner’s designs as well).  The examples below were illustrated in the June 1899 issue of House Beautiful.

Wynne was one of the 126 charter members of the Chicago Arts and Crafts Society when it was founded at Hull-House in October 1897.  Members included metalworkers, designers, potters, artists, writers, and architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright.  The Society’s constitution promised “to cultivate in its members, and through them in others, a just sense of beauty” particularly in the design and decoration of everyday articles.   Wynne was also a founder of the Deerfield Society of Arts and Crafts in Deerfield Massachusetts where she spent her summers for many years.

Wynne was a writer of some note and penned a short story called “The Little Room.”  The title was adopted by an important group of Chicago painters, sculptors, writers, and architects who formed themselves into an informal group in the 1890s which lasted well into the 20^th century. 

After the death of her brother, she took a studio in the Tree Studio Building.  She died in Asheville North Carolina in January 1918 at the age of 70.