From the Collections
Stories and behind-the-scenes information on the rich holdings of our Library archives.
Nineteenth Century Shell Cameos
Found among the pieces in the jewelry collection linked to Mary Baker Eddy are three nineteenth-century cameos.
Mary Baker Eddy’s Copybooks
Copybooks were frequently used in the first half of the nineteenth century. The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that they are books in which “copies are written or printed for pupils to imitate” (1971 printing).
“Chafing Dish Possibilities” by Fannie Merritt Farmer
Many of us enjoy sharing good food with family and friends, and Mary Baker Eddy was no different.
Turkey Feather Fan
A student of Mary Baker Eddy once commented, “Mrs. Eddy seemed to care little for the large or expensive presents given her by her followers, but she called …
Winter at Pleasant View
As we look at photographs of life at Pleasant View, Mary Baker Eddy’s home in Concord, N.H., it’s fascinating to see a quiet New England town of a century ago.
Preservation of Mary Baker Eddy’s Original Letters and Manuscripts
With all the focus on digitization of documents today, it’s easy to forget that preservation is not a new issue. In fact, proper preservation of Mary Baker Eddy’s letters and manuscripts was first considered over 90 years ago.
Pears Soap
Possibly some of the most unique items in the collections at The Mary Baker Eddy Library are three cakes of Pears Soap.
Gems for You: From New Hampshire Authors
In the nineteenth century, gift books were tokens—not meant so much to be read as to be given away, often for remembrance of a person or event.
Souvenir Spoons In The Library Collections
Souvenir spoons representing many localities, causes, and events were very much in demand from the 1890s through the 1920s. They were purchased as mementos of trips and vacations and also as gifts. We find a number of these spoons in the collections that were gifts to...
Baker Family Bible: “A Holy Book and a Family Treasure”
Family Bibles have been used over the centuries to record births, marriages, and deaths. In many family circles, they are traditionally used for daily reading and prayer as well as at these significant family events.
Advice to Healers Collection
Selected letters by Mary Baker Eddy from the Library’s collection are available for purchase. They shed light on Mary Baker Eddy’s own spiritual growth, her loving care and counsel to students, as well as on her spiritual insights and healing ideas.Advice to Healers,...
Webcast: Revelations — What Scholars Learn from the Mary Baker Eddy Collection
Dr. David Holland, a Research Fellow at The Mary Baker Eddy Library and Associate Professor of North American Religious History at the Harvard Divinity School, and Mike Davis, Senior Researcher at The Mary Baker Eddy Library, held an online audiocast discussion, with questions from the public, on how The Mary Baker Eddy Library collections are bringing about new understanding of Mary Baker Eddy.
Photo of George Glover III: “the dear little fellow”
Mary Baker Eddy treasured this framed photograph of her grandson George W. Glover III, which she kept on display in her living room.
Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Mary Baker Eddy
To commemorate the publication of the Emancipation Proclamation, artist Francis Bicknell Carpenter (1830-1900) sought to depict President Lincoln reading it to his cabinet in September 1862.
Laying the cornerstone: “Let this ceremony be simple, prayerful, devout.”
One hundred and twenty years ago this month (January 6, 1895), the original Mother Church edifice was dedicated in Boston. Its cornerstone had been laid less than eight months before.
