ITEMS OF INTEREST October 31, 2005 Issue

ITEMS OF INTEREST

with contributions from Marilyn Jones

On a beautiful fall day in Boston, the Hall of Ideas in The Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity filled with community leaders, church members, and local residents to celebrate the 70th anniversary of one of Boston's most beloved works of art, the Mapparium, a world-famous, three-story stained-galss globe. Over 10 million visitors from around the world have entered this unique room over the last seven decades, discovering the world from the inside out, so to speak.

First opened in 1935, and conceived and designed by Boston architect Chester Lindsay Churchill, the Mapparium is 30 feet in diameter and comprises 608 individual panels of vivid stained glass held together by a bronze frame. The map inside the globe has never been updated and reflects a world that has changed dramatically since the 1930s. Indeed, this beautiful structure provides a stunning reminder of the profound political and geographical shifts of the last century. Viewing the world from within the globe, rather than through a linear or flat-map perspective, allows the visitor to see the equality and significance of all countries.

The celebration began with remarks from Honor Hill, President and CEO of The Mary Baker Eddy Library. As she noted, "The architect, Chester Churchill, caught sight of the inclusiveness of the ideas of Mary Baker Eddy .... He thought the Mapparium could capture Mrs. Eddy's thought of the essential unity of people and nations." She added, "When I go into the Mapparium, it reminds me of our collective responsibility for caring for this beloved planet of ours."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

can you stop feeling vulnerable?