Lecture: “In the Neatest Manner at the Shortest Notice: Collaborating on Masonic Aprons”
March 03, 2016
Saturday, March 12, 2016
2 PM
Lecture and book signing by Aimee E. Newell, Ph.D., Director of Collections at the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library
A Mason’s apron is one of the most recognizable symbols of Freemasonry. Aprons from the early 1800s were often works of art which reflected a tangible connection between a member and his experience as a Mason. These detailed and symbolically decorated aprons reflect the collaboration between a Mason and the craftsman or woman who created it.
In her lecture Aimee E. Newell, Director of Collections and author of book The Badge of a Freemason: Masonic Aprons from the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library will discuss the relationships that produced many early-1800s Masonic aprons. Using examples from the Museum’s collection, Dr. Newell will discuss how each apron represented a unique collaboration between Mason and maker. One example is a painted apron made in the 1820s in Salem, Massachusetts. Maker Nathan Lakeman and client Charles Peabody were fellow Jordan Lodge members suggesting a shared understanding of the symbolism depicted on the apron.
Newell will also discuss the role of female makers in apron construction. Although barred from membership, women were not absent from the temple; they employed a working knowledge of Masonic symbolism to create aprons. Like many other craftsmen of the era, these women utilized their skills to serve a growing Masonic clientele.
Dr. Newell is pleased to offer a book signing after her lecture.
This lecture is made possible by the generous sponsorship of the Ruby W. and LaVon P. Linn Foundation and is the first of four talks in the 2016 lecture series, “Enterprise and Craft in the Young Nation.”
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