The Longyear Portrait Gallery houses changing thematic exhibits that draw from the Museum’s rich collection of portrait images, and currently features “Love, loyalty, and good works” — The Pleasant View Years. The exhibit looks at the fruitful years (1892-1908) that Mrs. Eddy spent at her beloved country home in Concord, New Hampshire, where she directed the growth of her Church and, with the aid of household workers and faithful students near and far, oversaw landmark steps for the Christian Science movement.
The exhibit, which opened in November 2016, features artifacts from Pleasant View, notably a striking St. Lawrence skiff, as well as original portraits of members of the household staff. Over the course of the nearly 16 years that Mrs. Eddy lived at Pleasant View, some seven dozen or so workers served in the household at various times. Their faithful service enabled Mary Baker Eddy to focus on leading a growing religious movement.
As visitors leave the Portrait Gallery, one of the last things they see is a full wall of images from Pleasant View and selected quotes from some of Mary Baker Eddy’s published writings — sending them off with Mrs. Eddy’s own words, observations, and counsel.
