What did Chicago and the world look like 150 years ago? At a time when one out of every five people lived under the control of Queen Victoria’s British empire, composers and authors were producing works that remain well-known today. Mark Twain’s novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today gave its name to the era of the robber barons, and a controversial art exhibition in Paris led to the birth of Impressionism.

Closer to home, President Ulysses S. Grant was dealing with the impact of the financial panic that had started the previous year, and King Kalakua of the Kingdom of Hawaii visited Chicago. Architects were busy rebuilding Chicago following the devastating fire of 1871, when another fire burned 47 acres of mostly wooden buildings that had escaped the first fire south of downtown.

Second Presbyterian Church dedicated its new building on South Michigan Avenue designed by James Renwick, Jr., and the Glessners purchased their first home, on Chicago’s West Side.

Join Glessner House curator William Tyre as he explores the defining moments of the year 1874 and their impact on our world, in this richly illustrated presentation. Co-sponsored by Friends of Historic Second Church.

This program will be recorded and a link will be sent to all registrants. The link will remain live for seven days following the program.

$15 per person / $12 for members

All ticket sales are final; no refunds or exchanges.