Home of the freemasons' history
Operating as usual
Are you starting 2023 looking for a new challenge? We're looking for a Reading Room Supervisor to join our friendly team and help us to make our fascinating collections accessible to our growing number of researchers.
If that sounds like you, all the details on how to apply are on our website 👉 https://museumfreemasonry.org.uk/jobs
We're excited to announce that our latest exhibition, 'Inventing the Future', is now open!
Curated in collaboration with Dr. Ric Berman and the United Grand Lodge of England, 'Inventing the Future' celebrates the Tercentenary of the Constitutions of the Freemasons, exploring its impact on freemasonry and the wider world.
Objects featured in this free exhibition include original copies of the 1723 Constitutions, owned by key figures in 18th-century society, a Maul, said to have belonged to Christopher Wren and a host of other items, some on display for the first time, exploring freemasonry, the enlightenment and the 18th century.
Visit today to discover one of freemasonry's most important books.
The exhibition is open 10am - 5pm Monday to Saturday and until 8pm on the first Thursday of the month.
We look forward to welcoming you soon! Plan your visit here 👉 http://ow.ly/EbET50MnAJb
Happy New Year! After a restful break, we're open as normal this week, putting the finishing touches on a new exhibition in South Gallery, ready for the opening next week.
However, due to the ongoing rail strikes, this month’s Thursday late opening (5th January) will not be going ahead. Our regular Thursday Lates will resume next month (2nd February), strikes permitting.
In the meantime, we're open Monday - Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, so why not plan a visit to stave off the January blues?
We'll be closing for the Christmas break from 5pm on Thursday 22nd December, reopening at 10am on Tuesday 3rd January.
Thank you to all our followers and visitors for your support in 2022. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We're looking forward to sharing more of our fascinating stories with you in 2023.
Before we go, enjoy this printing plate for a masonic Christmas card. The reversed design shows including the square and compass, a rule, gavel, skirret, plumb rule, level and pencil.
South Gallery may be closed to visitors, but we're working hard on something exciting, opening in January 2023.
We're putting the finishing touches on a new exhibition, exploring one of freemasonry's most important books.
We'll have more details to share in the New Year, but for now, here's a taster of what's to come...
Check out our website to keep updated 👉 http://ow.ly/UwOh50LWnSb
Have you ever wondered just how many of UGLE's Grand Masters were royal?
This rather charismatic chap may be one of the more familiar faces from the history of the Royal Family.
Initiated in Sweden in 1858, Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), became Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England in 1874. He held the post until his accession to the throne in 1901. He was an enthusiastic freemason, who helped to increase the popularity of freemasonry in the Victorian era.
Find out more about the other Royal Grand Masters on our website 👉 http://ow.ly/2VyH50LOEUh
#️Freemasonry
Our next is this week!
Join us on Thursday 1 December, from 5-8pm, where our Librarian, Martin Cherry will be delving into the details behind one of freemasonry’s best known images and a favourite of visitors to the Museum.
Titled “The Free Masons” it comes from Bernard Picart’s “Ceremonies and religious customs of all the peoples of the world” (1723-1743).
This colourful engraving features 18th-century freemasons in all their finery, in front of a wall of lodge locations and numbers. You can learn more about what they all mean later this week, when Martin will be on hand to answer any questions. Why not visit the Bar at Freemasons' Hall while you're here?
Plan your visit on our website 👉 https://museumfreemasonry.org.uk/whats-on
The rulebook of City Lodge has this rather striking image of the King of Sweden as its frontispiece. Why the King of Sweden, you ask? The lodge first met at the King of Sweden Tavern in Wapping Dock.
Discover more in our exhibition, on now in the library 👉 http://ow.ly/yO7f50I7VoN
When freemason Edward Parsons was lost on the Titanic, his wife, Clara, petitioned for her daughters to go to the Royal Masonic School for Girls.
Edward was Chief Storekeeper on the Titanic and has previously worked on two other ships run by the White Star Line, the Teutonic and the Oceanic. A letter sent to the family by the White Star Line suggested that he was last seen on the deck handing out biscuits to children.
His two daughters, Ethel and Brenda, both attended the Royal Masonic School, with Ethel returning as a lower school mistress in 1924, having trained as a pupil teacher.
You can see the petition for yourself in our exhibition, on in the library, and you can find out more about other Titanic tales in our collection on our blog 👉http://ow.ly/Fb8t50K0i3R
❗REDUCED OPENING HOURS❗
Due to the tube strike on Thursday 10th November, we will be open from 11am - 4pm.
We'll be open as normal for the rest of the week.
Plan your visit on our website. Link in bio ☝
#️MuseumFreemasonry
William Stukeley, eighteenth-century Antiquarian and freemason, was born on this day in 1687. He was a prolific note-taker, and we have several of his manuscripts in the collection. They provide a fascinating glimpse into his world, with volumes covering topics such as architecture, Greek mythology, Stonehenge (he was particularly interested in links between freemasonry and Druidism) and Egypt.
This particular volume includes lavish depictions of items from biblical stories, including Aaron's Breastplate. Stukeley labelled his illustration in his distinctive handwriting and had splashes of colour, which really brings the drawing to life.
You can find out more about Stukeley and his manuscripts on our blog - check out the 'Stories' section using the link in the bio.
Our next is this week!
On Thursday, 3 November, from 5pm until 8pm, you can discover more about some of the most significant jewels in our collection.
Known as the Changi jewels, they were made by Prisoners of War who wanted to continue their freemasonry while being held captive in an internment camp during the Second World War.
Visitor Service Assistants Pei-Yu and Colin will be on hand to tell you more about these fascinating items and to answer any questions you may have.
Plan your visit on our website - link in bio ☝
#️FreeMuseumLondon
Our archives are a treasure trove of correspondence from all over the world. Having introduced the letters of , we thought we’d delve a bit deeper into more letters from the history of Prince Hall freemasonry – those of Frederic S. Monroe.
Monroe was born in Massachusetts in 1855 and worked as a stenographer and typewriter. In 1895, he was initiated into freemasonry in Union Lodge, New Bedford and was elected Master of the lodge in 1899. In 1900, he was credited as having provided the material for a report on black freemasonry in America, which prompted an exchange of correspondence on the subject with Henry Sadler, Librarian on the Grand Lodge of England.
Find out more on the Stories section of our website 👉 http://ow.ly/JVSv50KUBUo
Continuing our exploration of stories of black freemasonry for , we’re highlighting Prince Hall. He was a leader in the free black community in Boston in the late eighteenth century, and the founder of black freemasonry in America, known as Prince Hall Freemasonry.
We have a number of his letters in our collection, where he petitions Grand Lodge to form a lodge for black freemasons and discusses the running of lodges. His petition was successful, and African Lodge was granted a charter in September 1784.
Find out more about one of his letters in our ‘Collections Favourites’ series in the Stories section of our website 👉 http://ow.ly/3EpP50KUuuW
⭐️ We are delighted to announce that we have received status! ⭐️
Museum Accreditation is a UK-wide industry standard that shows we care for our collections, make them accessible to audiences and safeguard our history and heritage for the future 🏺🖼️
This is the result of years of hard work, and we're really pleased to have had this confirmed after our renewal submission was delayed due to the pandemic. Thank you to everyone who continues to support us. Do come and visit us soon!
We love discovering new stories in our collections, and we’ve still got more to discover. One of our favourites is the story of Lovelace Overton, a black trumpeter from Barbados who was initiated into Royal Clarence Lodge in Brighton in 1807.
He had travelled to England and joined the Ayreshire Fencibles, a militia cavalry troop that defended Britain during the French Revolution. It was disbanded in 1800 after the threat from France reduced, and Loveless transferred to the 1st Dragoon Guards in Manchester. The Guards were stationed in Brighton by 1805, which may explain why he chose to join Royal Clarence when he did.
You can find out more about Loveless’ fascinating life in our online talk. See the Stories section of our website. Link in bio. ☝️
Timeline photos
👧On this week's edition of , we found an image of the Steward's jewel for the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls' 1942 festival, hosted by the Province of Northumberland.
During the Second World War, cardboard and plastic jewels like this one were issued, with the promise of a replacement jewel in metal when the war ended.
📷 Museum of Freemasonry
Our next is a week today!
We're open until 8pm on 6th October when you can join Emma Roberts, Collections Manager and Registrar to discover more about some of the symbolism used in Freemasonry.
For centuries Freemasons have used symbols to reinforce moral lessons and, when these are combined with the words used in the ceremonies, it helps create an atmosphere of learning.
At this month’s Museum Late, you will get the chance to handle some of the badges, known as “jewels”, worn by Freemasons during these ceremonies and discover more about their meaning.
Visit our website to plan your visit 👉 http://ow.ly/INYl50KX2XW
South Gallery may be closed, but we thought we'd use the opportunity to highlight some of the items we'd usually have on display on our social media instead!
This impressive punchbowl is quite possibly the one of the largest examples of Chinese export porcelain in the world. It was made in 1813 for the Lodge of True Friendship, which used to meet in Bengal but moved to England in 1947 and still meets today.
The bowl holds nine and a half gallons of punch - enough for each lodge member to have a fifth of a gallon, (or 750ml), each. In case you were wondering how the punch was made, the recipe survives and we've reproduced it below 👉
4 quarts of Three Star Brandy
4 quarts of Jamaica Rum
4 quarts of Whisky
1 Orange Curacao
1 pint lime juice
2 tablespoons of Angostura Bitters
2 sliced oranges
2 sliced lemons
Sliced skin of one cucumber
2 pounds of sugar
Fresh herbs and spices
Discover more of our collections by searching our catalogue 👉 http://ow.ly/GBjT50KNZPS
#️MuseumFreemasonry
**SOUTH GALLERY CLOSURE**
Our South Gallery is currently closed while we get ready for a new exhibition opening in 2023. We're sorry for any inconvenience but we're excited to share our plans. Keep an eye on our website and social media in the coming months as we reveal snippets of what's coming.
In the meantime, you can visit and enjoy our North Gallery and Library and you can explore our collections on our website 👉 https://museumfreemasonry.org.uk/
#️MuseumFreemasonry
**LAST CHANCE TO SEE**
Have you seen our refurbished 1930's South Gallery yet? This weekend is your last chance before it closes until 2023 while we install a new exhibition.
There are plenty of gems to enjoy, including this beautiful longcase clock, made by freemason John Barraclough. He lived in Howarth in Yorkshire and included masonic symbolism on the clock face of this particular example.
You can find out more about Barraclough and other items he made in our 'Collections Favourites' video on our YouTube channel 👉 http://ow.ly/1e4O50KKiuP
If you miss South Gallery this weekend, don't worry! Our Library and North Gallery will remain open, so there's still lots to see!
We'll be closed on Monday 19th September to mark the funeral of her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. We're open as normal from Tuesday 20th September.
We're really looking forward to this weekend!
One of the highlights of our collection is this impressive throne, made for George, Prince of Wales (later George IV). He was the first Royal Grand Master and this throne was one of three made for his installation in 1790. The other two are for the Senior and Junior Wardens and are on display in our South Gallery.
The Grand Master's throne would have originally had Prince of Wales ostrich feather crest on the top but in 1901, when the Duke of Connaught became Grand Master, it was replaced by a ducal coronet.
All three chairs were restored between 2005 - 2008 and 190 books of gold leaf were used to re-guild them.
Do pop in to visit us and admire them in person! Plan your visit on our website 👉 http://ow.ly/K2rJ50KASlB
#️OpenHouseLondon
Are you planning a visit to Open House London next weekend? Have you ever fancied visiting the museum? We're open on both Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September, 10am - 5pm. Our staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have on the day so feel free to ask away! We can't wait to welcome you to show off our North Gallery, Library and South Gallery.
Find out more on how to plan your visit on our website👉 https://museumfreemasonry.org.uk/your-visit
#️MuseumFreemasonry
Our last example is this rather striking St John's Day card, sent to members and the Correspondence Circle of Quatuor Coronati Lodge, a lodge dedicated to masonic research which still meets today.
There are two feast days dedicated to Saints named John. The first, 24th June, is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and the first Grand Lodge was formed on that day in 1717.
The second is on 27th December and is dedicated to John the Evangelist. When two rival Grand Lodges came together to form a union in 1813, they signed the Articles confirming the union on 27th December 1813.
This card was sent for St. John's Day in December of 1891 and is one of several in our collection.
You can check out more stories from our collections here 👉http://ow.ly/4GIb50K07nV
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We have a lots of different examples of #TrenchArt in our collections, and this is one of our favourites. Our next #ArtThatMadeUs item is a beautiful bone snuffbox, made by French prisoners of war at a camp in Abergavenny in the early 1800s. Find out more about it's history and it's owner in this short video. Note: this video has no sound. #Freemasons #Freemasonry #RoyalArch #Snuffbox #NapoleonicWars #History #LondonMuseums #MuseumFreemasonry #MuseumOfFreemasonry #MaterialCulture
Our first talk booked out in just 3 hours so we're putting it on again! A free online talk taking place Monday 22 June at 7.30pm GMT+1. Book your place now: https://events.museumfreemasonry.org.uk
Freemason in the family? Join us at #RootsTech 2019 to find out more about your family history. We will be at Stand 527 👉 https://buff.ly/327SLeb 24 - 26 October @ExCeLLondon . #Museums #FamilyHistory #Ancestry #Genealogy #Freemasonry #MuseumFreemasonry #VisitLondon #LondonLife
It's official: We are now called simply MUSEUM OF FREEMASONRY And with the new branding we have a new website with lots of new features. But as always we are free to visit, so drop in Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Visit #MuseumFreemasonry 👉 https://buff.ly/2lwxiet
Come and see the new library exhibition WILLIAM PERFECT: ENLIGHTENMENT MASON, MEDIC, MAN OF LETTERS Discover the world of a pioneering doctor with a love for writing, acting and cricket. He wasn't just a Georgian gentleman, he was ahead of his time. 👉 https://buff.ly/2kdkrxF
We are hiring! Join our team at #MuseumFreemasonry as the new Head of Trading. Applications close Monday 24 June. Find out more here: http://freemasonry.london.museum/jobs/
DECODED: FREEMASONRY'S ILLUSTRATED RULEBOOKS Visit the new library exhibition at #MuseumFreemasonry and decode six iconic illustrations from the Constitutions of the freemasons Open to all. Admission is free.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ https://buff.ly/2Rx6chF⠀ #Decodedexhibition
Work with us at #MuseumFreemasonry! We are now hiring �Visitor Assistants� for casual and Saturday staff. Details can be found on the jobs page of our website: https://buff.ly/2FMfsfQ
Explore 300 years of masonic history at the home of English freemasonry, located in the heart of London. The Museum of Freemasonry, at Freemasons' Hall, is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free. See our services tab for info on guided tours, library, archive and more...
At the Museum of Freemasonry, our goal is to help you learn about freemasonry in all its cultural richness. If you’re a freemason, the museum is a treasure trove for exploration. If you’re not a freemason, it’s the perfect place to visit and discover what freemasonry is all about.
Open Monday - Saturday, 10am - 5pm
Admission is free
More information can be found here: https://museumfreemasonry.org.uk
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