The First “Virtual” Masonic Museum

David Lettelier

The extensive collection of the Phoenixmasonry Museum gives a fascinating look at the artifacts of Freemasonry and fraternalism.

Above is shown a letter of authenticity for a a “Masonic wages”
box from Jerusalem (see below).

All photos are courtesy of the Phoenixmasonry Museum.

August 11, 1999, saw the birth of a new Masonic museum without walls of brick and mortar but with a collection that nonetheless delights and fascinates visitors. Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum and Library, http://www.phoenixmasonry.org, is the world’s first online, virtual museum devoted to Freemasonry and fraternalism. It was formed by several Master Masons who met each other on the popular Internet auction site eBay while collecting fraternal objects. Their museum never closes and offers easy online access to web-surfers in the safety and comfort of their homes and businesses.

The founders shared an interest in preserving the rich cultural heritage of artifacts, books, and collectibles that were produced to commemorate many special Masonic and fraternal events. Lodge dedications, cornerstone layings, anniversaries, installations, and conventions were all marked and remembered by presentation pieces made in glass, china, porcelain, wood, and metals. They were given away or sold to friends, family, and brethren who were in attendance. These artifacts are truly symbolic of the perfection our forefathers strived to achieve in their daily lives.

The American Civil War was an economic disaster for the young country and hard times, including two major depressions, soon followed. Hard times bring people together, and in the latter part of the nineteenth century they came together in lodges of all sorts. By 1900, America had over three hundred different—and mostly new—fraternal orders! The Sears and Roebuck catalog of that year featured over eighty pins, charms, and watch fobs from twenty-eight different orders. The histories and pictures of the jewels of these orders are to be found in the museum as well.

The fraternal orders of post-Civil-War America patterned their organizations after the Blue Lodge, complete with secret rituals, grips, and passwords. This is hardly surprising as very many of the founders of these new orders were Masons, but unlike the Masons, which were at this time exclusive gentlemen’s clubs, the new orders opened their doors to working class men—and women. And though the lodge structure was essentially Masonic, the prime purpose of these new orders was based on life insurance which was previously available only to the well-to-do and beyond the economic reach of the average working man. Each member was assessed a small fee, and upon the death of a member, his family would receive a death benefit, usually on the order of about $500–$2,000. This would generally have been enough to pay off the mortgage on the family farm and perhaps support the family thereafter. (This is most likely the origin of the term “he bought the farm,” meaning he died.) Freemasons had their own insurance program for interested members called the “Masonic Mutual Benefit Society.”

Though the Golden Age of Fraternalism has long since passed, the artifacts they left behind are still a wonder to behold. Beautiful little works of art in gold, silver, bronze, and brass, decorated with precious stones, colored enamel, and elaborate hand engraving pay lasting tribute not only to the Lodges that inspired them but also to the goldsmiths of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries who created them. In the museum you will find a good sampling of the lapel pins, charms, watch fobs, working tools, and large medals (commonly called Jewels) associated with the many fraternal lodges active at the turn of the century. This is by no means a complete accounting—one could spend a lifetime acquiring only Masonic jewelry and still never reach the end. Still, there is something here for everyone, ranging from inexpensive gold-filled lapel pins to elaborate jewels in solid gold set with diamonds and rubies.

So come and visit the Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum at http://www.phoenixmasonry.org and take a trip back in time, where our mission has been to clarify the present through the appreciation of the past.

Pictured below are a few exceptional artifacts that can be seen in our fraternal museum.

Bohemian Decanter with Copper Wheel Engravings

This decanter, which measures 9 inches tall and 4 inches in diameter, features a band of cut fluting at the neck and base. Both the form and decoration of the decanter match the patterns in a glass catalog dating around 1800, now in the Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum Libraries. Two catalogs with drawings of glass patterns captioned in German were discovered on Gardiner’s Island, New York. The name “Johannes Schiefner,” which appears on an accompanying price list, has been tentatively associated with a Bohemian glass factory, but the American merchant who used the catalogs is not known (Dwight Lanmon, “The Baltimore Glass Trade,” Winterthur Portfolio 5, Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, 1969). An amazing feature about this hand-blown engraved decanter is that the little sun and moon are only 5/16 of an inch in height, yet they show enough detail for all of the facial features to be clearly visible under a magnifying glass. Copper wheel engraving is becoming another lost art, which only increases the value of this piece.

Masonic Wages Box from Jerusalem

This “wages box” from Jerusalem was used to present new Fellowcraft Masons their wages of corn (wheat), wine, and oil after their journey through the middle chamber. The box is made of olive wood with “Jerusalem” on the lid in both English and Hebrew. It contains two hand-blown crystal bottles with the Square and Compasses engraved on the face of them. One bottle contains olive oil and the other Jerusalem wine. In the center compartment is the wheat, which was raised in that country. An accompanying card from the U.S. Counsel in Jerusalem, Henry Gillman, describes the contents and certifies its authenticity. The card is dated January 19, 1887, which makes the wine in the bottle 125 years old. The card and its contents were sent to the U.S. Counsel in Malta, Brother Joe Worthington, Esq. The card reads: “U.S. Consulate Jerusalem, Palestine, 19 January, 1887, I certify that the wine and oil forwarded to Joe Worthington, Esq, U.S. Counsel at Malta, were made in Jerusalem, that the wheat was raised here, and the little bottles are such as are used here, and were made in this country. The wine is known as Jerusalem wine, and is seven years old. (Consulate Seal—Jerusalem) Henry Gillman, U.S. Counsel.”

Dudley Masonic Pocket Watch

The “King” of pocket watches and the most sought after is a Dudley Masonic Watch made by a Mason for Masons. Its designer and maker was Bro. William Wallace Dudley, born in 1851 in St. John, New Brunswick, Canada. He began his career as a horologist at the age of 13 when he became an apprentice to a maker of ship chronometers in Canada. Several years later after completing his apprenticeship, he moved to the United States and joined the Waltham Watch factory in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he was employed as a model maker.

Dudley moved around from one watch factory to another gaining knowledge and experience. He went to Springfield, Illinois, where he was connected with the Illinois Watch Company, and later moved to South Bend, Indiana, where he joined the South Bend Watch Company as superintendent. His next move was back east to Chambersburg, New Jersey, to work for the Trenton Watch Company. From 1906 to 1920, he was designer and superintendent of manufacture at the Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but left at the age of 69 to fulfill his dream of establishing a watch factory. It is believed Bro. Dudley had seen the M. Tobias & Co. watch made in England with two Masonic emblems in its works.

Deeply interested in Freemasonry, he was a member of the York and Scottish Rites, the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the Tall Cedars of Lebanon. According to his daughter, he started working on his first Masonic watch 15–20 years before he patented his design. In 1918, Dudley began work on a Masonic watch with its bridge plate in the form of Masonic symbols (a slipper, plumb, trowel, level, square, compasses, a Bible, and the Letter G). These emblem parts were machined by Bro. Willis R. Michael. Dudley later applied for and was granted design patents dated June 29, 1923.

Bros. George W. Adams and John D. Wood, local retail jewelers, became Dudley’s partners. On May 20, 1920, they applied to the state of Pennsylvania for incorporation, their papers were issued on June 7, 1920, and the amount of capital stock of the corporation was $5,000. The original project of the company was to build a large (14 size), 19 jewel, 14 kt. solid gold watch, referred to as a “Model 1.” By 1923, the Dudley Watch Company, faced with dwindling sales and heavy competition from other companies producing smaller watches, decided to go ahead with the development of a smaller (12 size), 19 jewel, 14 kt. gold-filled watch, referred to as a “Model 2.” This watch used the wheels and escapement design from the Hamilton models. At full production the company employed 18–20 men including Arthur and Clifford Dudley, sons of the founder. As it was primarily an assembly operation, the employees were all highly skilled watchmakers, and most had worked in the Hamilton Watch Company. Those men with Masonic background were given preference.

Once production began, sales became the problem. The price of the watches varied with the styles of cases, with top-of-the-line models ranging from $125 to $250 ($1,350 to $2,700 today!). By late 1924 the company was heavily in debt and management was trying desperately to find a solution to its problem. On February 28, 1925, the Dudley Watch Company was declared bankrupt, mostly because sales had been taken away by the new and very popular wrist watch. After leaving the Company, Dudley was in serious difficulties. He had invested all his available capital in his brain-child and at the age of 74 found himself out of work and nearly broke. He accepted a job at Hamilton Watch Company as a mechanic where he continued to work until 1931, retiring at the age of 80.

On February 8, 1938 Dudley died at Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It is ironic that today his watches are considered very rare, and it’s a privilege to own one. In the fifteen years that Dudley watches were produced in Lancaster, less than 2,600 were made.

Mother of Pearl Masonic Tea Caddy

This is a rare Regency Period single compartment tea caddy in amboyna wood with a very unusual mother of pearl panel inlaid on the lid. The lock escutcheon on the front is in the shape of the Masonic square and compasses. The tea compartment has some of its original lining material. The condition of this highly collectable caddy is splendid, with just a couple of tiny chips to the mother of pearl and some cracking to the base of the lid left and right. These early locking caddies kept the servants from pinching the master of the household’s tea! This fine example of Masonic folk art measures 4” x 3.5” x 3.8”.

Early Masonic Shaving Dish

This lovely hand-painted shaving dish was used by putting a little powered soap and water in the basin, whipping it up into a lather with the brush, and putting the cut-out portion up to your neck to catch any dripping lather while you brushed it on. Then the shaving bowl would be set down on the washstand and the end of the brush laid in the dimple in the bowl. The pristine condition of this shaving bowl makes it look like it was never used.

Hand-painted around the rim is the cabletow, a purely Masonic word which means the scope of a Mason’s reasonable ability. Another prominent symbol painted on this piece is the “Mystic Tie” or Bow. In the words of Albert G. Mackey, 33°, it is “that sacred and inviolable bond which unites men of the most discordant opinions into one band of brothers, which gives but one language to men of all nations.… Freemasons, because they alone are under its influence, or enjoy its benefits, are called ‘Brethren of the Mystic Tie.’ ” Brother Robert Burns used the expression in “The Farewell to the Brethren of Saint James Lodge, Tarbolton”:

Adieu! a heart-warm, fond adieu!
Dear Brothers of the Mystic Tie!
Ye favored, ye enlightened few,
Companions of my social joy!

Bro. A. Glass, Ayr Operative Lodge No. 138, Scotland, later used the expression effectively in allusion to Bro. Burns himself (from the Freemason, August 5, 1871):

His was the keen prophetic eye,
Could see afar the glorious birth,
Of that great power, whose mystic tie,
Shall make “One Lodge” of all the earth.

David Lettelier is the Curator of the Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum and lives in Havana, Florida. He is the founding president of Phoenixmasonry, Inc. and is an avid collector of Masonic and fraternal artifacts.