Frances Glessner Lee

We're discovering so many wonderful, new things about Frances Glessner Lee. Some of them are even a bit surprising. (Like her connection to J. Edgar Hoover!) In the meantime, if you need some old, background info on the Patron Saint of Forensics, I suggest you:

Watch Of Dolls & Murder
Read The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death

Frances Glessner Lee's First Miniatures

No crime here, just the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on display at the Glessner House. The exhibit recently ended, but fear not, we will showcase a little bit of it in our new documentary film, Murder in a Nutshell.

Learn more about this mini masterpiece.

Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death - 2nd Documentary

Alton Mosher - Carpenter for the Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death and one hell of a guy.

Yep! It's really happening. We are making another documentary film about Frances Glessner Lee and her Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. Why two, you ask? New information came to light after we finished, Of Dolls & Murder, so we decided to chase down more of this amazing story. The working title is, Murder in a Nutshell.

If we aren't tired of Frances' dolls yet, we know you won't be either.

We have several research trips planned and we have a few big shoots that we are lining up. We already film with Alton Mosher  (above) - one of Frances' carpenters. The other carpenter was Alton's father, Ralph Mosher.

We don't need to tell how cool Alton is. You can tell from the photo, no?

New Documentary Film - Inside the Speakeasy Dollhouse!

Poster for Inside the Speakeasy Dollhouse

Our new documentary film, Inside the Speakeasy Dollhouse is finished and ready for you! 

Inspired by a collection of dollhouse crime scenes known as “The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death,” Cynthia von Buhler recreates the story of her grandfather’s prohibition-era murder with a dollhouse replica of his speakeasy club and bakery.

This documentary film goes inside Cynthia’s world of miniature murder and steps back in time through her off-Broadway immersive play. With these investigative techniques she attempts to unravel the curious mystery surrounding her grandfather’s death.

Inside the Speakeasy Dollhouse DVD includes the documentary film (Running time 17:38) and special PDF files of Cynthia von Buhler's graphic novel "Speakeasy Dollhouse, The Bloody Beginning" and an Evidence Booklet Playbill.

Buy your DVD here. Need tickets for the play? Go here. Thank you for your support of independent film and theater!

Of Dolls & Murder Special Screening

Dolls, Murder & other Guilty Pleasures
Bryant Lake Bowl (Minneapolis, MN)
March 21st.
Tickets $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
http://bryantlakebowl.com/

810 W. Lake Street, Minneapolis, MN 55408

Doors 8-9
Film at 9
Music 10:15





Of Dolls & Murder, a sneak preview of our documentary short, Inside the Speakeasy Dollhouse and music by Bernie King and the Guilty Pleasures!

Frances Glessner Lee's earliest miniatures

Miniature model of CSO on display 100 years later

Before murder, there were musicians.  

The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death - Unpapered Bedroom

Unpapered Bedroom

True, no one is ever going to give you the solutions to The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death. (they are a well-guarded secret) Also true, you will likely never see them in person. (they are not open to the general public)

But are you going to let that stand in your way? Launch your own investigation with this short video we put together of one of the Nutshells, Unpapered Bedroom. The Nutshells were created by Frances Glessner Lee and her carpenters Ralph and Alton Mosher.

Unpapered Bedroom is unique because it has a moving part – a string on the outside of the diorama that lifts up the pillow.

John Waters narration from Of Dolls and Murder:

She died in a room where no one had bothered to change the calendar in 5 years.

The room was registered the previous evening under the names Mr. and Mrs. John Smith.

Mr. Smith left the next morning, specifically requesting that the staff not disturb his wife.

At 3:00 p.m. the rooming house maid tried several times to wake the woman, but Mrs. Smith wouldn’t be checking out at all.