Started around 1720 in England, freemasonry was a secret society for men of varied backgrounds who met to improve themselves through enlightened practices of fraternity, liberty, tolerance, and benevolence. Rich in visual traditions, the fraternity evolved and spread across the globe, expanding to new orders and rites that included women and people of color. Never entirely secret, freemasonry contributed in visible ways to American culture and values.
This exhibition focuses on freemasonry in Georgia and displays items that demonstrate the ambitions and tensions that existed within the society. Organized in three sections that parallel the masonic symbol of the three columns of Strength, Wisdom, and Beauty, these materials are interpreted in their masonic significance as well as from a modern, critical perspective.
Started around 1720 in England, freemasonry was a secret society for men of varied backgrounds who met to improve themselves through enlightened practices of fraternity, liberty, tolerance, and benevolence. Rich in visual traditions, the fraternity evolved and spread across the globe, expanding to new orders and rites that included women and people of color. Never entirely secret, freemasonry contributed in visible ways to American culture and values.
This exhibition focuses on freemasonry in Georgia and displays items that demonstrate the ambitions and tensions that existed within the society. Organized in three sections that parallel the masonic symbol of the three columns of Strength, Wisdom, and Beauty, these materials are interpreted in their masonic significance as well as from a modern, critical perspective.
