Illustrations Of Freemasonry

This controversial, and fully illustrated book forms a cornerstone of the mythology surrounding anti-Freemasonry. Captain William Morgan, was a disenchanted Freemason, based in Batavia, New York. After he was ejected by the local lodge, he announced he would publish a book exposing the secretive Masonic rituals. Shortly before the book was published in 1826, Morgan disappeared, and three Free Masons were later convicted of kidnapping. Although there were claims that Morgan had been murdered, others say that he was forced to leave the country. The incident led to widespread hostility towards Freemasons in the United States.

Due to the secrecy of Masonic society, the members heavily relied upon symbols and icons to communicate. This groundbreaking study details the secret society's influence on modern American and European aesthetics. In its own way, this book may be one of the most important contributions to an understanding of Western art, and will be invaluable to architects, artists, and anyone interested in the esoteric ideas and iconography of Freemasonry. Concepts such as death, trial, and descent into the depths are prevalent in Masonic architecture, and have permeated the designs of parks, gardens, and cemeteries for centuries. Architectural history professor James Stevens Curl also looks at the way Masonic ideas have permeated other art forms from literature to the performing arts, where operas like Mozart's The Magic Flute used Masonic elements in everything from the characters' names to the music to the stage designs-the original drawings of which are included here.The 190 exceptional illustrations are accompanied by detailed, informative captions.

This book has a controversial backstory which is part of the mythology of anti-Freemasonry. 'Captain' William Morgan, the author, was a disappointed Freemason in Batavia, New York. Rejected by the local lodge, he announced that he was going to publish a work exposing Masonic rituals and secrets. Shortly before publication in 1826, he disappeared, and three Masons were later convicted of kidnapping him. Although claims were made that Morgan had been murdered, some say that he was forced to leave the US. Either way, it was good publicity for this book, which was published in 1827, but bad for the Masons. The incident led to widespread protests against Freemasons in the US, and eventually an anti-Masonic Party, which at its height in 1832 got seven electoral votes for William Wirt for President. So why read this book? Stripped of the fevered historical background, and ignoring the publisher's antimasonic introduction, this becomes simply one of the first published accounts of US Freemasonry in the early 19th century. It seems accurate, based on other published Monitors, such as Ducan's. At this perspective, Illustrations is no more offensive than Robert's Rules of Order, although it makes more interesting reading. This republished version of the book includes all of the illustrations from the original, which have been digitally rescanned for optimal presentation.