Blog

By Joseph Patzner

As there is increasing motivation to digitize records to expand accessibility, evaluating the breadth and condition of the materials selected for digitization is required. Additionally, making note of any idiosyncrasies, like photos glued onto a sheet of paper, loose pages within a bound book, or a tight binding, can help aid in understanding how materials will be processed.

When assessing the condition of materials selected for scanning, each item is given an individual entry, where I take notes about the type of material (bound, loose material) and damage. During my most recent project, I found that materials from the 19^th century tend to have spines and bindings that are in poor condition, primarily due to age, while more modern material tends to consist of loose material in binders. If I find any damage, I photograph the damage to assure the Lodges that the material was not damaged while on loan to be digitized. When looking at the types of material, if there are loose news clippings or photographs, I’ll note that these materials need to be rehoused in order to ensure the longevity of preservation.

What to look for when preparing to digitize material:

1. Loose or Missing Boards
2. Loose Binding
3. Torn or Missing Pages
4. Loose Papers inserted into a Bound Book
5. News Clippings
6. Loose Photographs

 If you would like individual materials or materials from your lodge digitized, contact our Digital Technician at Digital@nymasoniclibrary.org .

Designing a new exhibit is always somewhat of an adventure, as there must be a concordance between the artifacts which are available and safe to display, the story or theme which is being told, the shape and size of the exhibit cases, the hardware needed to display the artifacts and the amount of signage needed to explain to the viewer what they are seeing and why it is important enough to be on display.

Last year, the Livingston Masonic Library was the grateful recipient of a number of display cases from the Grand Lodge of New Jersey, with the coordination of Brother Glenn Visscher at the Grand Lodge of New Jersey and the Livingston Masonic Library’s Board of Trustees, most especially, RW C. F. William Maurer. Five of the cases were installed in the Library on the 14th floor, with two others held in reserve for future exhibits.

Four of the cases were refitted to be used in the ground floor Wendell K. Walker Lounge, and a brand new Masonic Apron Exhibit was unveiled during the Grand Lodge Annual Communication on May 1st and 2nd.

Aprons were chosen out of the vast Apron Collection of the Grand Lodge of New York based on either their historical interest, their symbolic value, their sheer beauty, or their representative nature.

In Display Case 1, there is just one, plain leather apron, the symbolism of which is well-known to every Freemason. Considered to be the “single most important piece of ceremonial regalia,” one of its symbolic meanings, as given to the initiate, is one of innocence and purity.

In Display Case 2, there is a simple leather apron from 1793, with a single symbol, the square and compasses. The addition of symbols to the Masonic apron began with this simple type of adornment.  Also in this case is the stunning Howard Lodge No. 35 apron, worn between 1825-1836.

Included in this case of leather aprons is the Masonic Apron of Brother John Joseph Pershing, General of the Armies 1919 and Commander-in-Chief of the US Forces 1921-1924.

Case 3 holds the Masonic Apron of Most Worshipful Daniel D. Tompkins, Grand Master 1820-1822, NYS Governor 1807-1817 and United States Vice President 1817-1825.

Additionally, in Case 3 is an Apron significant to the Grand Lodge of New York as belonging to Most Worshipful Isaac Phillips, founder and the 1851 Grand Master of the Phillips Grand Lodge (a schism Grand Lodge in existence from 1849-1858). It is also significant in that MW Phillips was an early Jewish Grand Master, dispelling the myth that the Fraternity didn’t accept Jewish members. All the Grand Officers of the Phillips Grand Lodge were accorded legal Past Grand Officer status upon the healing Union in 1858.

In Case 4 are seen a sample of Aprons from some of the many Concordant Bodies, with a Royal Arch apron, a Knights Templar Apron, and a Scottish Rite Apron on display.

This Royal Arch Apron is filled with both Blue Lodge and Royal Arch symbols.

This Knights Templar Apron belonged to Civil War Soldier, Right Worshipful William Gurney, who fought in the 7th NY Militia, the 65th Regiment, NY Volunteers, the 127th NY Volunteer Infantry and also served as the Commander of the Second Brigade in General Abercrombie’s Division.

This Apron Exhibit will have new, fascinating, beautiful and historic aprons switched in on a regular basis, so please don’t hesitate to come to Grand Lodge to view them in person.

At the library, one of my main duties involves the answering genealogy requests from both Brothers and the public. These requests are often trying to gain a better understanding of family members who were Freemasons, and their level of involvement.

A genealogy search in this collection entails knowing how to use and interpret the collection’s

Books, Microfiche, Manuscripts, Card Catalog

To begin such a search as this:

1. I first ask if they have the birth and date years of the person that is being looked for. As our collection has a vast amount of resources, materials used for genealogy are often separated by time periods. Thus, knowing the time period in which an individual lived in would direct me to the proper resources.

• Pre-1900 material: Found in our archives/ microfiche
• Post-1900 material: Microfiche/ digitized in the Online Historical Lodge Files

2. If the patron knows the Lodge from which the person derives from, I would often go directly to the files that we have on that Lodge, and physically look through the material to see if I could find their names and possible positions within the Lodge itself.

3. If the patron does NOT know the Lodge, I would start by looking in the archival material/card catalogs we have that pertains to members. In the hopes that the person might have held a position in the Grand Lodge of New York F. & A. M., I also look in our related catalogs concerning who held these positions.

• A last resort is asking if the individual knows what particular area in New York that the person might have lived in. If so, I can usually check to see which lodges were operating in that particular area during the time frame of the person. Thus, I would be able to narrow down the number of lodges that I would look at, to find this person.
• If the person was also part of a concordant body and I was given the year of their death, I would often use the proceedings from these concordant bodies, as their Necrology sections are often accurate and reliable sources.

4. Once a person’s Lodge is found, using the returns that are found in the microfiche and archives collection is a good way to look for a specific confirmation of Lodge membership. When supplied with a death year, I would often use the Return from that year to find where it was notated that he died, and to then use the Returns to trace back to when he joined.

5. Further information about said person can be found in the files pertaining to that individual’s lodge.

If you are interested in having a genealogy search done, please contact assistantlib@nymasoniclibrary.org

By Joseph Patzner

Whilst researching for a future library project, our Associate Librarian Jo-Ann Wong found and shared a folder containing a press release that detailed the introduction of the ÆtnaDriveotrainer “behind-the-wheel” Driving Lesson Program into the New York City education system.  The program was introduced, as the schools were finding the current driving education system to not be as financially sensible. Hence, they attempted this transition towards a portable Drivotrainer system. While the students look somewhat ridiculous seated in a classroom full of motionless cars that resemble bumper cars, one of the main goals of the program was to provide teenagers with the opportunity to acquire invaluable driving skills without the risk of injury or driving accidents. At the moment, while this material was found in our stacks, it is unclear whether or not the Masons were a major proponent in getting these programs into the school. However, the Masons are well-known for being a large supporter for the education of the youth of society.

While much of modern driving education occurs through on-the-road training, during the 1950s Ætna developed the Driovotrainer “behind” the wheel training course as a way to pioneer a safer and effective method for teaching driving skills. The system that is reflected in these photographs were loaned to the Brooklyn High School of Automotive Trades on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. The system consisted of 15 Ætnacars, with the controls of a standard automobile including pedals, a shift knob, speedometer, turn signals and a high-low beam switch, as well as a set of twenty-two films to be projected at the front of the classroom that simulate various driving situations for which the students “drive” in. As the student are “driving,” each student’s progress is recorded and printed in the rear of the classroom as to allow the instructor to track student progress and correct driving errors as they occur. It is to no surprise that the final film is a twenty-five-minute road test, to test whether or not the students are able to apply the skills gained from the first twenty-one films.  Upon successful completion of the three-hour training course, the students would receive a discounted rate from insurance providers.

These driving simulators were produced throughout the 1970s, before returning to the way they had been prior to the Driveotrainer. Although Ætna is no longer around, the concept of driving simulators still exists as a way to not only teach individuals how to drive, but as an aid in understanding driving habits.

The film “Teach Them Now,” produced by the Ætna insurance company, explains why the company developed the training system and can be viewed below courtesy of the National Archives.

Masonic Aprons are one of the most interesting, beautiful and curious items in the Fraternity’s history. Members of medieval, operative stone-masons’ guilds wore large animal hide aprons, providing them with as much protection as possible from the sharp rock shards with which they worked.

Early Masonic aprons were similar, but in the late 1600s, men began to join the guild who were not actual stonemasons, but who were “Accepted” into the Fraternity nonetheless, and it is they who may have introduced the practice of decorating their aprons.

Worshipful Harry Rylands, Past Master Lodge No. 2, and Past Grand Steward, wrote The Masonic Apron (Research Lodge Quatuor Coronati No. 2076, Transactions Volume 5, London, England, 1892). In this important, early analysis of the Masonic Apron, he states, “The bordering with ribbon and decorations were, I think, introduced by the Speculative Masons, and may perhaps have been a mark of distinction.”

White leather was mentioned as the material for the Aprons in the Book of Constitutions, which outlined various colored silks that were allowed to be used as lining, a regulation repeated in the editions from 1739 up to 1784. Linings protected the clothing from white marks from undyed leather.

Aprons began to be much smaller, as the Lodges began to be filled with more speculative rather than operative Masons. The flap, which was previously held up with a button or a thong passed around the neck, for increased protection, or which hung loosely down, was folded over intentionally and tied around the waist.

From 1760-1770, in line with the advance of printed pottery and engraved summonses, the aprons became more decorated. “As jewels, differences of rank, and other matters increased in number, so the taste for symbols and the decoration of aprons advanced, and they became more and more ornate.” (Rylands, 1892)

By 1786, Aprons were much smaller than the old aprons that went almost to the ankles. They were often ornately decorated with any number of symbols, and were diverse in size, material and decorative elements. Spangles, sequins, bullion fringe, embroidery, three-dimensional items sewn on, paint, engraved prints, engraved prints which were painted … almost anything was used in Masonic Apron decoration and design.

The Concordant Bodies of the York Rite and the Scottish Rite also began to distinguish themselves with various apron styles.

In 1814, the United Grand Lodge of England ordered a general uniformity of design and lining color.

Uniformity in the Masonic Apron shape and design didn’t take hold until after the 1840s, and, while there are distinctions in color and symbol, the wide variety of earlier days diminished and has mostly disappeared from the Masonic world.

The Grand Lodge of New York holds an incredible collection of early Masonic Aprons. Some of this collection can be seen in the Library’s Online Museum by clicking  here. (Please click “Browse” above the thumbnail panel in order to see the entire Fabric sub-collection.)

Next week, a brand new Apron exhibit will be installed on the ground floor of the Grand Lodge of New York’s Masonic Hall, and we invite you to visit and see these amazing works of art which reflect so much meaning and history.

References: Rylands, Harry, “The Masonic Apron”. Transactions of the Lodge Quatuor Coronati, Vol. 5, 1892. Photographs by Catherine Walter.

By Jo-Ann Wong

In our archives, our documents from the late 19th century and onward will often have an imprint, also known as a seal impression. These imprints indicate the specific Lodge or Masonic organization that the paper is originating from, and are extremely important in tracing back a Lodge’s history and their correspondence with others.

The device that was most commonly used to create these imprints are known as seal presses. Traditionally, these presses would be used to emboss wax seals, but overtime, embossing an imprint became more in fashion. It is believed that this transition from wax to embossing a seal directly onto the paper started around 1782.

In our Museum collection, we have dozens of these seal presses. Particularly, our collection contains many “Lever” seal presses. These were made out of iron, and would often have either fanciful metalwork, such as this one that includes a lion head (which was also known as the Lion Seal Press):

or have designs painted onto it, like this one:

As you can see, the name “lever” comes from the fact that this is how one would operate this device. Taking the lever, you would push down hard to create the impression on the piece of paper that is slid into the device. The harder you pressed down, the more defined the impression would be. These seal presses, because they are made of iron, are heavy, and can range between 3 to 10 lbs each.

As such, while there are no dates on the seal presses themselves, there are clues throughout that hint at their age. The first clue comes from the imprint itself. For the press that had designs painted onto it, the imprint is this:

Indicating that it is from the Masonic Veterans, the imprint also notes that it was incorporate in 1872.

Similarly, the press with the lion’s head has an imprint that looks like:

Belonging to a specific lodge, the imprint indicates that this lodge was instituted in 1909.

The other clue for dating these devices is looking at their bases. The press that is from the Masonic Veterans has a flat, smooth bottom, which is indicative of early  to mid-1800s seals. The other press has a large pour hole, which indicates that it is from the  The former is indicative of being made in the early 1900s. As such, with information from the imprint and from the base of the presses, it can be assumed that the Masonic Veterans press was made around 1860-70s, while the other press was made around 1910s.

To see more devices like this one, come visit our Library & Museum!

Sources:

Early Office Museum

By Joseph Patzner

With the first pitch of Major League Baseball season set to cross the plate in just under three weeks, I began to explore the relationship between Freemasonry and baseball. While the Civil War hero Abner DoubIeday was long recognized as the founder of the “Modern” game of baseball, he was falsely attributed as the “Father of Baseball.” Rather, Alexander Joy Cartwright, a member of Le Progress de I’oceanie and Hawaiian Lodge, had developed the game using the rules of the English game of rounders whilst playing pick-up games of “town ball.” He soon established the Knickerbocker Baseball Club in 1842. While playing mostly pick-up games with the team throughout the early to mid 1840s in vacant New York City lots, the first official game under Cartwright’s rules took place between the Knickerbockers and the New York Nine on June 24, 1846 at Elysian Field in Hoboken, New Jersey.

In addition to learning that a Mason was the founder of our national past-time, I found a number of news clippings and articles highlighting players from the early to mid-20^th century that were involved in Freemasonry.  One of the most interesting clippings came from The Masonic World, which had a photograph of Charles Hostetler, Paul Trout, Harold Newhouser, and Robert Swift of Lodge 417* in Michigan, being raised to the degree of Master Mason. Similarly, in 1932, the Masonic Outlook published a story that highlighted members of the New York (Baseball) Giants team who were part of The Craft. When asked why the men joined, the players mentioned that their fathers were also Masons.

(* in our records, the Lodge’s name was not specified)

In addition to publishing articles about baseball players involved in Freemasonry, the Grand Lodge of New York F. &A.M. contacted the front offices of multiple teams throughout the league during the 1946 off-season, asking about which players in the league were also Masons. Although numerous responses were sent, replies varied, with most replies noting that, while the information was not made available to them, the Grand Lodge of New York F. &A.M. might be better off contacting the players directly. While it is unclear whether or not the players had been contacted directly, a list was compiled by The Royal Arch Magazine that identified 275 prominent players who were also a part of Freemasonry. On this list, some of the most notable names included Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Honus Wagner, Mickey Cochrane, and Dazzy Vance. While it is unclear whether or not any players joined the brotherhood beyond the mid and early 20^th century, the Masons maintained their relationship with the New York baseball clubs, by holding Brotherhood Night in the ’70s and ’80s to help promote unity throughout the city.

If you are interested in learning more about the relationship between Freemasonry and Baseball, there is currently an exhibit dedicated to the subject at the Chancellor Robert R Livingston Masonic Library & Museum.

Traditionally, Bibles were held in containers known as “Bible Boxes.” A box such as this would be used to store a Bible, as well as protect it while it was being transported. Popular in the 17th century, boxes were ornate and made out of wood, metal, or even ceramics.

By Joseph Patzner

Recently, we received a request from a patron to digitize loose materials to aid his research about a lodge. As I was preparing the materials for digitization, I found repairs had been made to the torn pages by applying pressure sensitive tape. While the tape helps to repair damage at the moment, the tape can cause damage over time, as the chemicals in the adhesive will darken and stain documents.  As a result of the stains, text can become obscured. And, the ink can be transferred to the tape, thereby removing the text from the page if the tape is separated from the paper.

While pressure sensitive tape was once the primary solution for paper repairs upon its release in the 1930s, the use of Japanese papers with Kozo fibers has become the standard practice by conservators for mending tears within paper collection. Japanese papers with Kozo fibers are translucent and do not discolor over time, thereby preventing text from being obscured.  Despite the recommendation for use of Japanese papers, certain objects may still require the use of an adhesive. According to the NEDCC , the adhesives selected for repairs must not discolor the paper to which it is applied, adhesion should be maintained indefinitely, and the repair needs to be reversible without damaging the original object.  Most of the commercially available adhesives should also be avoided, as they do not meet the NEDCC criterion and are likely to damage the paper they adhere to.