On January 1, 1906, Frances Glessner received an extraordinary birthday gift: a large leather-bound calendar containing entries from family and friends – one entry for each day of the year. The entries ranged from intimate family messages to quotes, sketches, and musical fragments from social and cultural luminaries. Among all these incredible entries, one cryptic message stands out: a verse from the Quran and two lines of French poetry (one of them intentionally misquoted), contributed by Isabella Stewart Gardner of Boston. Gardner, affectionately known as “Mrs. Jack,” was a larger-than-life character and a patron of artists, writers, and musicians. Her lasting legacy is the museum she created in Boston.

This online presentation explores the course of the friendship between Mrs. Jack and Mrs. Glessner, from their meeting in the 1880s, until they drifted apart two decades later.