JH Rathbone Museum & Resource Center, Inc

JH Rathbone Museum & Resource Center, Inc A museum and library containing artifacts and ephemera relating to the history of Fraternal and trade organizations in America. The J.H.

Rathbone Museum is dedicated to preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Knights of Pythias and other Fraternal organizations. We do this by educating the public about the importance of organizations and their influence in communities. The museum preserves a large collection of fraternal special collections in the form of writings, newspapers, journals, and other ephemera.

The Rathbone Museum continues to collect and catalog fraternal items from a variety of organizations.  We have a  new se...
02/17/2022

The Rathbone Museum continues to collect and catalog fraternal items from a variety of organizations. We have a new set of offerings.

A Knights of Malta cape. It also came with a membership certificate.

Two Knights of the Mystic Chain Badges. One is a normal Castle Badge and the other is a special "In Memorium" badge.

The next offering is an Independent Order of Good Templars Badge for the Grand Lodge of New York. This is a temperance organization.

Finally, a badge for the German organization, Daughters of Hermann

The Rathbone tries to collect and make available for displaying many unique fraternal items from a variety of organizati...
12/20/2021

The Rathbone tries to collect and make available for displaying many unique fraternal items from a variety of organizations. One of the newest such items is the Wouff Hong Award. It is from the organization of amateur radio operators.

Don't know what the Wouff Hong is all about? Here's some background for ya!

A Wouff Hong is a fictional tool used to "punish" Amateur Radio operators who demonstrate poor operating practices.

Legend has it that the Wouff Hong was invented by ARRL co-founder Hiram Percy Maxim under the pseudonym, "The Old Man," just as radio amateurs were getting back on the air after World War One.

Pins are also part of the collection.  This week we have a 25 yr member pin from the Daughters of Isabella, the ladies a...
10/25/2021

Pins are also part of the collection. This week we have a 25 yr member pin from the Daughters of Isabella, the ladies auxiliary to the Knights of Columbus.

The Rathbone Museum continues to add items to its massive Knights of Pythias collection.  This week we have a convention...
10/18/2021

The Rathbone Museum continues to add items to its massive Knights of Pythias collection. This week we have a convention from Fredericksburg, VA. from 1937. It is in super shape!

The Rathbone Museum loves to add to our badge collection,  This week we are featuring a Rebekah Lodge from Wisconsin.
10/11/2021

The Rathbone Museum loves to add to our badge collection, This week we are featuring a Rebekah Lodge from Wisconsin.

The Rathbone Museum has the largest Knights of Pythias collection is the world.  We recently acquired a small red earthe...
09/13/2021

The Rathbone Museum has the largest Knights of Pythias collection is the world. We recently acquired a small red earthen mini jug from a New Hampshire event in 1907. It is 3.25 in. by 1.5 in.

The Rathbone tries to collect unique items from fraternal organizations top serve as examples of the diversity in materi...
09/07/2021

The Rathbone tries to collect unique items from fraternal organizations top serve as examples of the diversity in materials/art/and design. This week's piece is made from tin plate and unpolished steel.

Here's a bit of fraternal fun for you! This piece is from the Royal Order of Jesters, a masonic organization, dating to ...
09/06/2021

Here's a bit of fraternal fun for you! This piece is from the Royal Order of Jesters, a masonic organization, dating to 2007.

The Rathbone Museum has a large collection of fraternal order jewels.  This week's offering is a collar jewel from the K...
08/29/2021

The Rathbone Museum has a large collection of fraternal order jewels. This week's offering is a collar jewel from the Knights of Columbus in Massachusetts, a Past Grand Knight's Jewel.

The Rathbone Museum tries to collect items from a large number of different organizations so as to reflect the diversity...
08/23/2021

The Rathbone Museum tries to collect items from a large number of different organizations so as to reflect the diversity of fraternalism. This week we are featuring a screw back pin for the Knights of the Loyal Guard. A benefit group organized in Flint, MI.

The Rathbone Museum has the largest collection of Knights of Pythias memorabilia in the world.  This week we bring a ser...
08/16/2021

The Rathbone Museum has the largest collection of Knights of Pythias memorabilia in the world. This week we bring a service award from our Canadian brothers.

The Rathbone Museum continues to add to its collection of unique headware.  This week we have a head covering from the K...
08/09/2021

The Rathbone Museum continues to add to its collection of unique headware. This week we have a head covering from the Knights of St. John.

Address

134 S Earl Avenue
Lafayette, IN
47904

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