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Inside the Glass House and Philip Johnson's Controversial Life

Connecticut Public Radio | By Lucy Nalpathanchil
Published August 26, 2016 at 8:49 AM EDT
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The Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Ryan Caron King / WNPR
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The Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Ryan Caron King / WNPR
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Irene Shum, Curator and Collections Manager at the Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut.
Ryan Caron King / WNPR
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Yayoi Kusama's "Narcissus Garden" at the Philip Johnson Glass House.
Lucy Nalpathanchil / WNPR
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Yayoi Kusama's Narcissus Garden at the Philip Johnson Glass House.
Lucy Nalpathanchil / WNPR

Connecticut is home to many historic landmarks -- among them is the former residence of American architect and icon Philip Johnson. Since it opened to the public in 2007, Johnson's Glass House has welcomed thousands of visitors from across the country and around the world. 

This hour, we take a tour of the unique 49-acre property. We learn about its history in New Canaan, Connecticut, and discuss its ongoing role in supporting and sustaining the arts. Have you visited the Glass House? If so, what did you think?

We also sit down with author Marc Wortman to discuss a lesser-known part of Johnson's life -- his time as a fascist.

Get an inside look at the Glass House in WNPR's video below:

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Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

This show originally aired on July 29, 2016.
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History
Lucy Nalpathanchil
Lucy leads Connecticut Public's strategies to deeply connect and build collaborations with community-focused organizations across the state.
See stories by Lucy Nalpathanchil

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The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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