The Farnsworth House, a site of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will celebrate Edith Farnsworth Reconsidered, a year-long focus on the life and times of Dr. Edith Farnsworth for 2020.
According to a press release for the feature exhibition, Edith Farnsworth’s Country House, replicas of her furnishings (c. 1955) will be installed inside the house.
Officials say a new tour and partner exhibits will focus on the untold story of Dr. Farnsworth, who was an accomplished research physician, classically-trained violinist, poet, translator, world traveler and music lover.
In addition to the regular tour schedule on Thursdays, at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., 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, officials with the Farnsworth House say Dr. Farnsworth preferred Scandinavian Modern furniture by Jens Risom, Bruno Mathsson, Florence Knoll and other top designers.
The new tour will last about 90 minutes and includes both interior and exterior access.
Designed by 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.
The house was constructed for Dr. Edith Farnsworth as a country retreat along the Fox River in Plano. 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.