THE MOTHER OF FORENSIC SCIENCE Frances Glessner Lee

Loved this episode? Join us on our Lost Women of New England Tour in Oct 2023 – we’ll visit Glessner Lee’s New Hampshire home The Rocks and even see one of her mind-blowing Nutshell Studies in person!

A middle-aged woman with grey hair, glasses, and wearing a floral blouse and cardigan examines a piece of tiny dollhouse furniture through a magnifying glass. The table before her is strewn with other miniature furniture and objects and art supplies. — Frances Glessner Lee at work creating some of her *Nutshell Studies* miniatures

Frances Glessner Lee was 52 years old when she discovered the mission that would become her legacy – to “convict the guilty, clear the innocent, and find the truth.” After five decades as a prominent social hostess (and innovative part-time artist) this indomitable woman took on centuries of entrenched medical and legal tradition to become the Mother of Forensic Science. And she did it – at least partially – with dollhouses?!

Olivia speaks to guest Bruce Goldfarb, author of 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Invented Modern Forensics.

Experience a 360 degree virtual tour of the Nutshell Studies courtesy of the Smithsonian’s 2017 exhibition, or plan your own visit to the Glessner House Museum in Chicago or The Rocks in New Hampshire.

Frances Glessner as a child, c 1883
image in the public domain

Frances Glessner as young woman
image in the public domain

The exterior facade of the Glessner House, Frances’ childhood home in Chicago.
photo by Eric Allix Rogers

The interior facade of the Glessner house, facing the central courtyard
image courtesy of the Glessner House museum

The Home at The Rocks, Frances Glessner Lee’s “country home” for most of her adult life, as drawn by John G. Lee
image courtesy of the Bethlehem Historical Society

Bruce Goldfarb is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in the Baltimore Sun, Washington Post, USA Today, Baltimore magazine, American Archaeology, American Health and many other publications. Since 2012 Bruce has served as executive assistant to the Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Maryland. He is Public Information Officer for the OCME and the Curator of the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. He is the author of 18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics and OCME: Life in America’s Top Forensic Medical Center.

Music featured in this episode included:

“Alone With My Thoughts” – Esther Abrami
“A New Beginning” – Esther Abrami
“A Minor Waltz” – Esther Abrami
“A Fool’s Theme” – Brian Bolger
“Come Play With Me” – Kevin MacLeod
Puccini’s “Manon Lescaut Intermezzo – MIT Symphony Orchestra
“Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat Minor” – Amanda Setlik Wilson

Music featured in this episode included:

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