From the Collections
Stories and behind-the-scenes information on the rich holdings of our Library archives.
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.
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.
A Christmas Gift from Mary Baker Eddy
Learn about Mary Baker Eddy’s Christmas gift to Sunday School children in 1904.
“A Faithful Likeness”: Alice Barbour’s portrait of Mary Baker Eddy
Learn about portrait artist Alice Barbour’s iconic portrait of Mary Baker Eddy, completed in late 1910.
Christian Science Emblem Jewelry and J.C. Derby
In 1889 James Clare (J.C.) Derby (1867-1928), a resident of Concord, New Hampshire, repaired watches at 54 N. Main St. The Concord Directory records that he later worked at Holland & Derby at the same address. By 1898 his occupation was that of jeweler. Derby worked that same year with Mary Baker Eddy and Henry P. (H.P.) Moore, a local artist and photographer, to produce and issue a portrait of Eddy.…
A “regal gift from loyal hearts”
In 1897 a diamond hair ornament, shaped like a crown, was given to Mary Baker Eddy. The ornament contains 12 diamonds, six large pearls, and 39 small pearls set in an 18-karat gold crown, with a band of indigo blue enamel across its middle. Engraved on the back is the inscription “Mother 1897.” The ornament is a “combination pin,” as described by its donor, Amanda Baird — meaning it could be worn as a hair pin or used as a brooch.
