Book Title
Symbols in the Wilderness: Early Masonic Survivals in Upstate New York
Type of Work
Book
Files
Publication Date
2016
Publisher
Richard W. Couper Press and the Upstate Institute
City
Clinton, NY, USA ; Hamilton, NY, USA
Series
Occasional Publications
ISBN
9781937370213
Abstract
Freemasonry played a vital role in the social development of New York State. Its Lodges provided a trusted place for newcomers to meet and for friendships and business partnerships to develop, free from political, professional, and sectarian differences. During its explosive growth from 1790 to the end of the 1820s Masonic brethren produced iconic architecture, as well as extraordinary examples of folk art, expressed in large symbolic paintings (“tracing boards”), murals, textiles, and graphics. Most of these have remained entirely unknown outside the Upstate Lodges that, against all hazards, have preserved them. Their symbolism seems mysterious and confusing to outsiders, but once explained, it gives insight into a period and place unique in American history.
Hamilton Sponsoring Organization
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Hamilton Cosponsoring Organization
Richard W. Couper Press
Hamilton Office Affiliation
Library and Information Technology Services
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