Washington as a Freemason, 1870
Strobridge and Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
National Heritage Museum, Special Acquisitions Fund, 78.74.18
Visualizing Brotherhood: Masonic and Fraternal Prints
August 16, 2008-April 5, 2009
Drawn from the National Heritage Museum's collection of over 800 Masonic and fraternal prints, this exhibition of approximately twenty engravings and lithographs provides an introduction to fraternalism in America. Like the fraternal groups they represent, these prints use symbols to teach moral lessons. With these items, members proclaimed their affiliations, decorated homes and lodges, and celebrated prominent members.
The Masonic fraternity grew up with the nation, both influencing and being influenced by American aesthetics and values. Freemasonry also served as the inspiration for countless other fraternal groups that formed during the 1800s. Viewing these works side-by-side offers insight into the ideals that they cherished and promotes understanding of the role that Masonic and fraternal organizations—with six million members by 1900—played in American life.