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for From the Archives

Longtime Grand Secretary lived the Masonic life—to the very end.

Check out this 19th century Masonic French antique plate, where east is north and south is west and north is, well, missing! It’s one of the many curiosities housed in the archive of the Grand Lodge, imbued with secret meaning and mystery.

In celebration of Independence Day, Grand Lodge of California head archivist Joe Evans shares a blue transferware cup plate dated between 1818 and 1836 that suggests Lady Justice a Freemason.

Yes, they’re gold and silver Masonic flasks. No, they’re not for booze!

There’s a lot of history wrapped up in one little flag from an obscure Brazilian Masonic lodge. Learn more about it—and other artifacts housed in the Grand Lodge archives—as part of our series on Masonic curios.

How one Freemason became a pioneer winemaker for the wine industry and a charter member of Sonoma County’s early Masonic lodge.

A network of Masons assured a young orphan’s future.

An old Masonic baseball jersey is a reminder of the fraternity’s long history with the game.

A new exhibition remembers when the Knights Templar came to town.

This miniature, golden metal altar—found in the Henry W. Coil Library and Museum of Freemasonry—is undeniably cool. As for what, precisely, it’s for? That’s less clear.

What one lodge’s mothballed painting tells us about its earliest days

Pour a draught with these antique Masonic drinking vessels.

The fraternity learns to deal with—and thrive in—the Zoom era.

Together with the rest of the Grand Family, Grand Master John E. Trauner has announced his administration’s proclamations for the 2020 fraternal year.

Lodges accumulate a mountain of records over the years, in the form of papers, books, artifacts, and photos. The sheer volume can get overwhelming.

Use these guidelines and tools to get rid of the clutter, and to take proper care of your lodge’s important records.

The archives of the Henry Wilson Coil Library and Museum of Freemasonry in San Francisco contain more than 100 years’ worth of significant Masonic artifacts.