Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

Masonic Funeral Procession
1916
Maker not marked
USA: Massachusetts, Taunton
Photograph on paper
matted: 8"h x 9-3/4"w
Special Acquisitions Fund
83.18

Masonic Funeral Procession; photograph; in foreground: horses, casket with square and compasses decoration; lines of men wearing Masonic aprons flank casket; buildings, carriages in background. Written in pencil on back of photograph "A H Blake/ 83."

This photograph shows the funeral possession of Alden H. Blake (d. 1916). Masonic attendees wore plain white aprons; lodge officers also wore white sashes. The Museum acquired this photograph in a frame with a wooden backing. A pencil notation written on the backing read: "A H. Blake one of.... / A H Blake / 1863 / Burial of soldier....killed...." For more information, see Tabbert, Mark A., "American Freemasons: Three Centuries of Building Communities", 2005, p.106; Hamilton, John D., "Material Culture of the American Freemasons," 1994, p. 255; and blog post, October 29, 2020 https://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/2020/10/in-memoriam-.html.