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Man in Masonic Royal Arch Regalia
1850-1860
Maker not marked
USA
Daguerreotype in case; leather, glass, metal, wood, cloth
closed: 3-1/4"h x 3-1/4"w x 3/4"d; open (flat): 3-1/4"h x 6-5/8"w x 1/2"d
Museum Purchase with the assistance of the Kane Lodge Foundation
2010.010

1/6-plate colored daguerreotype of man in Masonic Royal Arch regalia. Brown hinged case with central design of deer on front and back. Gold-tone clasp on one side to close case. Subject has a beard and wears a dark coat, vest, and trousers. He has a white shirt and a light blue bowtie. He wears a pin on his shirt. Subject wears a red sash with gold edging, two gold stars, and gold fringed ends. He also wears a red and gold Masonic apron. The flap has a six-pointed star. Body shows an arch and keystone with stars and moon, seven-branch candleholder, and mosaic pavement.


This daguerreotype shows a Royal Arch member wearing a colorful apron and sash. His boldly colored apron shows a design incorporating many emblems that Masons use to teach the lessons of the different degrees to candidates. Color also holds a symbolic place in Masonic ritual. Red, as exhibited in this man's embroidered velvet apron, is generally associated with the Royal Arch degrees. In these degrees the color red represents “ardor and zeal” as well as fire, “the symbol of the regeneration and purification of souls.” For further information, see Newell, Aimee E., “The Badge of a Freemason," 2015, p. 212.