Curiosities of the Craft – Price Reduced!

Ever wonder what relics of the past your Grand Lodge has preserved throughout the years? Curiosities of the Craft walks you through the history and background of more than 150 objects from our collection. This 2014 Award of Merit winner (granted by the American Association for State and Local History, or AASLH) can be yours now for just $20.00 plus shipping and handling.

If you have not yet picked up a copy, it makes a wonderful addition to every proud Mason’s personal library. Contact the Grand Lodge Supply Department to learn more, or order online at MassMasons.org.

This hard-cover, four-color publication features 288 pages worth of pictures, texts, and stories that tell the story of Freemasonry in Massachusetts since 1733.

Published cooperatively by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts and the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, this lavishly illustrated volume will be enjoyed by Freemasons around the world, as well as by scholars, curators, and collectors.

On July 30, 1733, Henry Price (1697-1780), appointed by the Grand Lodge of England, gathered his Masonic brothers at a Boston tavern and formed what would become known as the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts.  Over the following 280 years, the Grand Lodge withstood wars, anti-Masonic sentiment and fires.  At the same time, the Grand Lodge amassed a collection of Masonic and historic objects, mementos and documents that tell not only its story, but also the story of Boston, New England and the United States.

Drawing on new research by authors Aimee E. Newell, Hilary Anderson Stelling and Catherine Compton Swanson, the book includes over 130 highlights from the Grand Lodge collection of more than 10,000 items acquired since 1733.  These objects represent the rich heritage of Freemasonry in Massachusetts and tell stories of life in the fraternity, in the state and around the world.  Some items were made or used by Massachusetts Masons, while others have associations with famous American Freemasons, such as George Washington (1732-1799) and Paul Revere (1734-1818).

Introduced with a history of the Grand Lodge collection, the catalog treats the themes of Traditions and Roots, Ritual and Ceremony, Gifts and Charity, Brotherhood and Community, and Memory and Commemoration.  Through the treasures of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts collection, this publication explores the ordinary men, craftsmen and extraordinary leaders who built and sustained Freemasonry in Massachusetts for centuries.