Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

Masonic Grand Lodge of Connecticut Badge
1909
Whitehead & Hoag Company
USA: New Jersey, Newark
Metal, silk; ink, paper, ink
overall: 6-3/4"h x 3"w x 1/2"d
Gift of Hal A. Tripp
85.96.2a

Grand Lodge of Connecticut Badge; gold-colored metal pin bar with circular image of "WESTON G. GRANNISS/ GRAND MASTER"; blue ribbon hangs from pin bar, reads "STATE LIBRARY/ AND/ SUPREME COURT/ BUILDING/ LAYING OF/ CORNER STONE/ MAY 25, 1909/ BY THE/ GRAND LODGE/ OF CONNECTICUT/ F. F. & A. M./ WESTON G. GRANNISS/ GRAND MASTER"; round metal medal with image of building hangs from ribbon, reads CORNER STONE LAID/ MAY 25, 1909/ STATE LIBRARY/ AND/ SUPREME COURT BLDG./ HARFORD, CONN."; reverse reads "WHITEHEAD & HOAG CO./ NEWARK, NEW JERSEY"; paper label reads "BADGES BANNERS/ BUTTONS/ WHITEHEAD/ AND/ HOAG CO./ NEWARK, N.J./ ADVERTISING/ NOVELTIES".

Ribbons and badges have long been ubiquitous at Masonic gatherings. These souvenirs identified participants and their affiliations, commemorated a range of different kinds of meetings, ceremonies, and galas, and were a clear way for members to declare support for their Masonic group.