In 2020, Farnsworth House, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will celebrate Edith Farnsworth Reconsidered, a yearlong focus on the life and times of Dr. Edith Farnsworth. For the feature exhibition, Edith Farnsworth’s Country House, replicas of her furnishings (c. 1955) will be installed inside the house. A new tour and partner exhibits will focus on the untold story of this remarkable woman, who was an accomplished research physician, classically-trained violinist, poet and translator, world traveler and music lover.
In addition to our regular tour schedule, on Thursdays, at 10am, 12noon and 2pm, from April through November, a new special guided tour of Edith Farnsworth’s Country House will be offered. Although Mies van der Rohe had specified furniture of his own design, Dr. Farnsworth preferred Scandinavian Modern furniture by Jens Risom, Bruno Mathsson, Florence Knoll and other top designers. This new tour will last about 90 minutes and includes both interior and exterior access. Tickets for all tours may be purchased here.
Highlights of our 2020 celebration include the following opportunities:
March 19th: Broken Glass Book Launch at the Knoll Showroom, Chicago
March 28th: Special Preview Tours and presentations the Farnsworth House Visitors Center
May 24: Staged Reading from The Glass House play on the Farnsworth House lawn
July 20: Summer Picnic at Aunt Edith’s including food, drinks, games and Jell-O mold competition!
November 17: Edith Farnsworth’s 117th Birthday Party
December 4-12: Mod & Merry – An Edith Farnsworth House Holiday of cocktail parties and special programming.
Designed by Mies van der Rohe in 1945 and constructed in 1951, the Farnsworth House is a vital part of American iconography, an exemplary representation of both the International Style of architecture as well as the modern movement’s desire to juxtapose the sleek, streamline design of Modern structure with the organic environment of the surrounding nature. Mies constructed this glass box residence of “almost nothing” for Dr. Edith Farnsworth as a country retreat along the Fox River in Plano, IL. It continued to be a private residence for over 50 years until Landmarks Illinois and the National Trust for Historic Preservation purchased it in 2003.
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