Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

Masonic Grand Lodge of New Hampshire Ribbon Badge with Paper Backing
1939
Whitehead & Hoag Co.
USA: New Jersey, Newark
a: metal, silk (likely); b: paper, ink
a: 3-1/8"h x 1-1/2"w x 1/4"d; b: 4"h x 2-1/4"w
Gift of Edward N. Lewis
2020.037.2a-b

Masonic Grand Lodge of New Hampshire Ribbon Badge with Paper Backing. a: Ribbon badge has cast bronze (possibly) rectangular pin bar with raised text, "1789 - 1939 / NEW HAMPSHIRE" and raised edge. Suspended from bar via two short bronze chains is a round cast bronze medallion which has a raised central design of a shield with three castle turrets on it, compasses within a chevron of raised lines in between them, and decorative leafy vines and ribbons along top and on either side; it features raised text around outside edge, "SEAL OF THE GRAND LODGE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE / 1789". Purple silk (likely) ribbon suspended from pin bar behind medallion has end cut in chevron shape. Reverse of medallion has raised text at center: "THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG. CO. [in a semicircle] / NEWARK N.J. [straight across bottom of semicircle]". b: Paper backing is of off-white, rectangular cardstock paper. Across bottom of front side, in black text, "THE WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO. / NEWARK, N. J. / ENAMEL, METAL AND RIBBON BADGES / ADVERTISING NOVELTIES, BUTTONS, GOLD AND ENAMEL EMBLEMS / LEATHER GOODS". On reverse, printed in black, "Have You Thought of This? / The badge is often the only / tangible souvenir that remains in / the possession of the member who / attended. Very often hundreds / and thousands of dollars are spent / on music, decorations, flowers, / carriages, automobiles, cigars, / as well as general entertainment, / none of which remain in existence / after the convention is over. The / badge does, however, and aside / from being a souvenir in itself, is / a pleasant reminder of all the / other good times experienced. / In view of these facts, should not / a committee give special attention / to the selection of a badge that / is worthy of the occasion? In / view of the large sums of money / that go up in smoke, should a / committee allow the matter of a / few cents to stand in the way of / obtaining a suitable badge?"