Societies Collection

Masonic Regalia
The regalia and accoutrements appropriate to the dignity, puissance and authority of the Grand Officer of the Grand Lodge of England

game, cards, Faro, Faro game with Doc Holliday as dealer, Wyatt Earp as viewer (right), Tombstone, ADDITIONAL-RIGHTS-CLEARANCE-INFO-NOT-AVAILABLE Additional-Rights-Clearance-Info-Not-Available

Masonic Certificate
Membership certificate of the UNITED GRAND LODGE of England

HERBERTE, Edward Benjamin (1857-1893). Hunt scenes. The Kill. Oil on canvas

England. Carta Magna (1212). Manuscript Add. 4838. UNITED KINGDOM. London. The British Museum

Reception of Apprentice
An blindfolded apprentice is received into a French Masonic Lodge : he bares his right leg as part of the ceremony

Womens Suffrage Millicent Fawcett
Photograph shows Millicent Garrett Fawcett ahead of a banner proclaiming Woman Citizens Mrs. Fawcett, President of the National Union of Womens Suffrage Societies

Independent Order of Rechabites, Temperance Knowledge Examination, certificate awarded to Sister Marjorie Barnard, 1937
Image from Local Studies ref. MP 1705 L

A Masonic Banquet
A MASONIC BANQUET

Lunar Society
The Lunar Society of Birmingham sought to improve society using science; its members included Priestley, Wedgwood, Erasmus Darwin, Herschel, and Watt

PELLIZZA DA VOLPEDO, Giuseppe (1868-1901). The Fourth Estate. 1901. Central detail. Naturalism. Oil on canvas. ITALY. Milan. Pinacotheca of Brera

Dore, Paul Gustave (1832-1883). Paradise Lost. 1886-. Illustration for John Miltons work. Etching

Book of the Deads. 651 -525 BC. Papyrus. Egyptian art. New Kingdom. TURKEY. Istanbul. Archaeological Museum

Initiation of a freemason
The initiation ceremony of a freemason (central detail); watercolour in the Musee du Grand Orient de France de la Franc-Maconnerie Europeene. Date: 19th Century

Boys Brigade Boy C1903
A boy in his Boys Brigade uniform, posing for a studio photograph with a garden backdrop

Reform Club Library / Iln
The library of the Reform Club

New Athenaeum Club 1820
The New Athenaeum, Waterloo Place

Freemasons / Apprentice
the lodge of an apprentice, showing the emblems appropriate to that grade

Reform Club / Saloon / 1840
Gentlemen and women in the corridor of the saloon

Arabian-Byzantine coin. Coin. FRANCE. Paris. National Library

Londons Masonic Lodges
London Masons meet in front of a board representing the many Lodges of Great Britain

Freemason Procession
Image of Baphomet carried in a procession at the initiation of a high Scottish rite

Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Mujeres libres (Free Women). Poster of the anarchist trade union CNT. SPAIN. Madrid. Fundacion de Estudios Libertarios Anselmo Lorenzo (FAL)

Female Initiation - 6
A candidate is initiated as Mistress of the Temple, lying on a supposed corpse and restoring him to life with the warmth of her body. Date: 1891

Paris Masons, 1740
Freemasons in a Masonic Lodge in Paris perform a ritual. A symbol covered banner is laid on the floor while a blindfolded man, an arm & shoulder bared, is led forth

Scout / Baden-Powell 1921
Chief scout, Lord Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, visits a French scout camp

Native of Yap carrying stone money
A native man from Yap wearing a mangrove wood comb in his hair (a sign of high rank) carrying stone money on a pole over his shoulder. Date: 1937

Suffragette Coronation Procession 1911 Souvenir
A souvenir and programme of the Womens Coronation Procession, 17th June, 1911, giving details of the Pageants. The Suffrage Societies taking part and the routes

Freemasons Hall, London
FREEMASONS HALL, LONDON A banquet of the Royal Humane Society is in progress, and a procession of persons saved from drowning during the past year passes among the guests Date: 1841

100 and 50 drachmas bills, Greece. Coin

Rotary Club 1950S
Four gentlemen enjoy a drink and a spot of socialising at the Rotary Club Headquarters, Rotary House, Portland Place, London

George at Jambouree
Prince George (Duke of Kent) poses with Baden-Powell at a jamboree of Norfolk and Suffolk scouts in Salhouse Broad, near Wroxham. With Lords Playfair and Albemarle

Scottish Rite
Induction to the 33rd Degree of the Scottish rite; the Candidate is led forward where the Book awaits him - watched over by the Skeleton, symbol

Reform Club / New Ministry
Gentlemen members in the Reform club- house await intelligence of the formation of the new ministry Date: 1853

Masonic Charity
The duc de Chartres, Grand Master, holds a Masonic banquet for charity inside a Benedictine monastery Date: 1776

Stockheath Boys Club
The Nissen huts which form the Stockheath Boys Club and Youth Centre, near Havant, Hampshire, England. Date: 1950s

Athenaeum Hall
Gentlemen in the hall at the Athenaeum

Carlton Club 1855
The Carlton Club, Pall Mall

Eccentic Club / 1900
Gentlemen of the club waiting for dinner

Paris Lodge 1740
A Parisian Lodge in 1740

Initiation to Master
A French Lodge ceremonially inducts a member to the grade of Master

Initiation / Secret Master
Initiation of a Secret Master

Little naked boy playing at the river bank

An Old Cornwall Society group at Fentongollan, Merther, Cornwall. Date unknown but probably around 1920s
An Old Cornwall Society group posing for a photograph at Fentongollan. Photographer Arthur William Jordan

Juliette Recamier by Francois Gerard
Francois Gerard (1770-1837) painting of Juliette Recamier (born Bernard, 1777-1849), French woman of letters. Date: 1805

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"Societies: Unveiling the Tapestry of History" Step into a world steeped in tradition and secrecy, where bonds are forged and legacies are created. From the Masonic Certificate adorned with symbols of ancient wisdom to Edward Benjamin Herberete's captivating Hunt scenes, they have long been woven into the fabric of our existence. Travel back to medieval England as you explore the Manuscript Add, an exquisite depiction of Carta Magna (1212), a pivotal moment in shaping democracy. Discover the regalia that adorns Freemasons during their initiation rituals, symbolizing unity and brotherhood. The New Athenaeum Club (1820) stands as a testament to intellectual pursuits and camaraderie among scholars, and is here that ideas were exchanged freely, sparking innovation and progress. Millicent Fawcett's Women's Suffrage movement fought tirelessly for equality, leaving an indelible mark on society. Witness Sister Marjorie Barnard's triumph through her Independent Order of Rechabites Temperance Knowledge Examination certificate from 1937—a testament to dedication towards sobriety and social responsibility. Experience the mystique surrounding the initiation ceremony of a freemason—an event shrouded in symbolism and rites passed down through generations. The Lunar Society illuminates minds with its gatherings under moonlit skies—where great thinkers converged to discuss science, philosophy, and industry. Indulge your senses at a Masonic Banquet—a feast fit for kings where bonds are strengthened over fine dining experiences. Witness firsthand the reception of an Apprentice—the beginning steps towards mastery within secret societies. Immerse yourself in history at Reform Club Saloon (1840), where political discourse shaped nations' destinies—a place where societal reform was passionately debated by intellectuals who sought change for all. Societies hold secrets untold yet offer glimpses into our shared past—unraveling tales that continue to shape our present.