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Object of the Month
Little mementos of the past
February 2012
The Library’s collections include objects Mary Baker Eddy gave to others, as well as many gifts she received herself. One fascinating example is a small collection of keepsakes given to Eddy by her sister in law, Mary Ann Baker, in 1898, family mementos that no doubt stirred up memories for Mary Baker Eddy. Read more…
An Ivory Pigeon for Eddy's "bright bearer of messages"
January 2012
Of the many men and women who worked for Mary Baker Eddy, few were as devoted as Laura Sargent. The two women met in May 1884, when Sargent traveled to Chicago to take instruction in Christian Science with Eddy. Starting in December 1887, Sargent began to travel frequently between her home in Oconto, Wisconsin and Boston at Eddy’s request. In 1890, Sargent joined Eddy’s staff as her personal companion, and she served in that capacity for the next twenty years, returning to Oconto from time to time. Read more…
A Mustache Cup
December 2011
Out of all the china/dishware found in the Library’s collections there is only a single example of a mustache cup. One is immediately tempted to think, ah yes, this was used by one of Mary Baker Eddy’s household staff with a mustache, perhaps her longtime secretary Calvin Frye, or perhaps Adam Dickey or William Rathvon—maybe Irving Tomlinson. No? How about … Read more…
Yale Automobile
November 2011
We’ve already written about Mary Baker Eddy’s horses, and featured an exhibit about one of her carriages, leaving another transportation topic yet undiscussed: horseless carriages, or automobiles. Eddy owned different automobiles at different times, each for different reasons. The first of these was purchased in April 1902 by Calvin Hill. Eddy wrote to him with her request on April 6, 1902: Read more…
The White Student
October 2011
Among the items that Mary Baker Eddy kept in her study, at Pleasant View and later at Chestnut Hill, was this bust of a child who appears to be thoughtfully contemplating a book. Eddy herself was, by all accounts, a reader at a very young age, and valued books and reading throughout her life. On the quotation page of Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, she includes a passage from "Epigram 86" by Ben Jonson that reflects her feelings about books: Read more…
Mary Baker Eddy's Diamond Cross Pin
September 2011
In the Library’s collection of jewelry is a cross pin, consisting of eleven old mine cut diamonds outlined by a thin band of gold. (An old mine cut diamond is the early form of today’s brilliant cut.) The pin was given to Mary Baker Eddy in June of 1891, by a student, Josephine C. Otterson of New York City. According to a June 18, 1891 letter Eddy wrote to James B. Harrington (L12906), Otterson presented the gift and remarked that "the cross is illumined." Read more…
King James Bible
August 2011
In 1604, a process began that would culminate in the publication of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible in 1611. After publication, this version gained popularity in England because of its accuracy and clarity, not because of its regal backing. For four centuries the KJV has inspired a countless number of people including Mary Baker Eddy. For her the Bible was a teacher and guide from childhood and throughout her life. Read more…
Church Service Program — Rev. Mary Baker G. Eddy, Pastor
July 2011
This month’s Object of the Month features a printed program from a Communion service preached by Mary Baker Eddy on June 19, 1887. This copy shows Eddy’s handwritten notes to herself, including hymn numbers, when she should rise to read her scriptural selection, when candidates for membership should rise to be admitted to the church, her invitation to the congregation to join her in a spiritual expression of Communion, and when collection should be taken. These few details recorded by the pastor herself give us a window into the early services of the Boston Church of Christ (Scientist). Read more…
Calvin Frye’s Account Books
June 2011
Calvin Frye joined Mary Baker Eddy’s household on August 14, 1882; he was a thirty-six year old widower who had been working as a machinist in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He stayed with Eddy until her passing in 1910, serving as "a combination of secretary, accountant, household manager, and social organizer," as Eddy biographer Gillian Gill describes him. He was a constant presence in Eddy’s life, a quiet, humble man who was deeply devoted both to her and to Christian Science. Read more…
Scrapbooking with Mary Baker Eddy and Calvin A. Frye
May 2011
Like many men and women of their day, Mary Baker Eddy and Calvin A. Frye kept scrapbooks. Eddy started keeping a personal one in about 1840, when she was nineteen years old. Later she continued collecting items with the help of Frye and others; scrapbooks were kept through 1910. They covered various topics and items of interest, including poetry, essays, news reports, observations, and items on or about Christian Science (just to name a few). Published interviews with Eddy, as well as essays, letters, and poetry by her, were also preserved. Read more…