A New Masonic Picture Book

W. Kirk MacNulty ,

Past Master

There are all sorts of things published about Freemasonry. In 2004 a motion picture named National Treasure was released. Its somewhat unlikely story made reference to some of the well known myths and rumors about Freemasonry; but it was unusual in that, by and large, the story represented the Craft in a reasonably respectable way. This film was followed by another, based on Dan Brown’s controversial book, The da Vinci Code , which made similar, but less favorable, references. Brad Meltzer’s The Book of Fate has just been published; and Dan Brown’s next book is expected to be published in 2007. Each of these books has made, or is expected to make, references to Freemasonry again through the use of popularly believed myths and rumors. While most of these myths and rumors are unfavorable to the Craft, these events have caused the general public to have an increased interest in the subject of Freemasonry. When this sort of increase in general interest occurs, publishers often respond by producing more books on the same subject; and in February, 2005 I was contacted by Thames & Hudson, Ltd. about the possibility of writing a book about Freemasonry for them. Thames & Hudson is a first class, world wide, art publisher with headquarters in London. About seventeen years ago I had written a book about Freemasonry for their Art and Imagination Series, so I was “their knowledgeable Masonic author”. The work they were considering at the time was a hard-cover coffeetable book that would present a comprehensive overview of Freemasonry. The opportunity to write a book that would provide an accurate representation of Freemasonry, in contrast with the myths and rumors that are usually presented to the public, was very attractive; as was the idea of working once again with this really good publisher and with their very congenial staff. I jumped at the idea, and that was the start of a year of serious work. One of the principal tasks in the publishing of an art book is the selection of the pictures that are to be included. This research to gather pictures included journeys to Masonic Museums in: Bayreuth; The Hague; Brussels; Paris; London; Dublin; Lexington, MA; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; and Cedar Rapids, IA; as well as to the House of the Temple and the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. It also involved correspondence with other Masonic bodies throughout the world in the hope that they could provide appropriate art; happily, many did. While the conduct of this research was laborious and time consuming, the travel and the meeting of many wonderful Masons was also very rewarding. The next task was writing the text that put all the art material into a sensible framework. That, too, was an arduous, but very rewarding task. The book is 320 pages long, contains 386 pictures; and it provides a reasonably comprehensive overview of Freemasonry. It starts with an introductory section that discusses the historical situation in Europe from which it seems to me that Freemasonry evolved. In outlining the history of Freemasonry the book starts with the Premier Grand Lodge in 1717, and then continues with the early spreading of the Order in Britain and on the Continent of Europe. This section also touches on the early exposes, the growth of “Higher Degrees”, the relationship with the Church, the story of the “Antients and Moderns,” the man

ner in which Freemasonry related to the various revolutionary political changes that occurred in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, the transmission of Freemasonry around the world, and the manner in which Freemasonry can be observed in everyday life. This section on history closes with a commentary on the issue of Regularity which is a significant consideration in Masonic history. The nature of Masonry, itself, is presented in two sections. The first section deals with the Craft and includes some commentary on the meaning of each of the three Craft Degrees. There is also a small amount of philosophical interpretation. The second section introduces the Higher Degrees. The number of Higher Degrees of Masonry is so large that it would be impossible to include them all, but there is a reasonably good coverage. The material includes the Holy Royal Arch, the Mark Degrees, the Knights Templar, the York Rite, the Scottish Rite, the Swedish Rite; and it touches briefly on other Orders and Rites. Freemasonry’s interaction with society is often misunderstood, and sometimes it is the source of some controversial ideas. The book starts to address the subject of relationship with society with a theme on Masonic charities. Then prominent Masonic social events, which were far more common in the late 19 th and early 20 th Centuries than they are today, are shown. The subject of Feminine Freemasonry is considered. This is a subject of interest. Although Feminine Lodges are not considered to be regular, some very prominent regular Grand Lodges acknowledge (not “recognize”) Feminine Grand Lodges and work with them to achieve mutually beneficial goals. The section on Masonry’s relationship with society ends with a theme on the opposition to Freemasonry, and that provides an easy transition to the next section. Because Freemasonry conducts its activities in a private manner and requires its members to hold certain information close, the order is generally misunderstood. This has resulted in all manner of allegations of improper Masonic activities. This book has a section on some of the most common misunderstandings including: the layout of Washington, D.C.; the pyramid with the “All-seeing Eye” on the back of the dollar bill; the use of cryptography in some Masonic writings; and the question of whether or not Freemasonry is a religion. This section makes no attempt to address all the improper allegations that have been made against the Craft, but it does introduce the subject and make a start in that direction.

Because of the serious nature of its work and because of the unique manner in which it communicates its teachings, Freemasonry has been, since almost immediately after its

EDITORIAL NOTE Freemasonry – Symbols, Secrets, Significance

Being much impressed with this book, prepared by Kirk MacNulty, Past Master of the Lodge of the Nine Muses No. 1776 and the Grand Representative of the United Grand Lodge of England near this Grand Lodge, I asked Kirk to explain how the work came about, factors involved in the compilation process, criteria employed in the selection of subject matter addressed, and his views on how the book may impact on society’s impression of and interest in Masonry.

As John Hamill, Director of Communications in the United Grand Lodge of England has so aptly stated, this book is nothing short of “stunning.” Hamill further observes that illustrations in the book, combined with Kirk’s lucid text, give readers, “be they Mason or not,” an easily digested overview of the history, traditions, culture, symbolism, principles, and practices of Freemasonry throughout the world.

It is a privilege for me, as Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia, and as editor of “The Voice of Freemasonry,” to commend to your early attention this fascinating book: “Freemasonry–Symbols, Secrets, Significacnce.” You will want to add it to your personal library.

Mansour Hatefi, PGM Grand Secretary

formation, very fortunate to have had some very prominent citizens join as members. In the last section of the book, the profiles of some of these prominent Masons are introduced, and they are organized into four themes: Fine Artists and Architects; Authors, Musicians, and Dramatists; Scientists and Explorers; and Royalty and Political Leaders. The brethren whose profiles are shown give an insight into of some of the very fine aspects of Masonic membership. It has been a great privilege for me to write this book. My primary desire is that it will be of service to Freemasonry and will make some public presentation of our Craft as it actually is. The initial reaction to the early released copies seems to have been positive, and it has been genuinely gratifying for me to hear favorable comments from some very prominent Freemasons. I hope you all will find the book to be of interest. ■