Bookshop 1
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.
A shot of the bookshop I ran yesterday at the public talk given by Ven Robina Courtin. We hired rooms at the huge Masonic Centre here in Sydney, and this room we were using for the bookshop and information tables was part of their museum. Full of strange and amazing things, including items and records from Masons who were getting together to do their Masonic practices in secret while they were interred in POW camps during the second world war. I was won over by the beautiful embroideries and amazing regalia in the collection, much dating from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Bookshop 2
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.
Come and get your enlightenment!
Masonic Apron 1
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.
Above is a 19th C embroidered Masonic apron in the collection of the Museum of Freemasonry, Sydney. These pics don't do them justice, because the lighting level was quite low and flash photography was verboten, but the embroidery on some of the aprons in the collection was really beautiful.
Masonic Apron 4
Originally uploaded by Other Andrew.
Beautiful 18th Masonic apron in the Museum of Freemasonry, Sydney.
3 comments:
Gosh these are pretty aprons; makes me wonder what their kitchens must of looked like.
nyuck nyuck nyuck.
:: Three Stooges got nothing on me ::
wow, haven't times changed for the Masons? I'd bet that 50yrs ago (or a lot more recently) you'd have been smacked very hard for being there in the first place with a) your exotic Buddhist stuff and b) your 'alternative lifestyle' ;)
as for being able to see aprons! let alone being on display!
my mum has a tale from when she was a child. her dad (my Pa) was a Mason. he was always being hassled to be more important and get promoted but he was a bit too relaxed to take it all that seriously.
anyway, Pa's apron stayed out of sight in a drawer (as was proper) when not in use, but one evening the kids caught sight of it as he was preparing to leave. one of them asked Nanna what Pa was doing with an apron, and her deadpan reply was
"It's his turn to do the washing up tonight."
heh.
The museum is full of pretty cool stuff, and even portaits of famous Masons (Chips Rafferty, Bud Tingwell, Mr Gowings et al). They have full suits of regalia, which are pretty kooky, especially the 'Knights Templar' suits from the US. A bit of a bad 'Ren Faire' quality to some of them.
I was surprised at how much was on show, and they do free tours at 11am every day. Makes me want to go on one some day. Beautiful antique furniture too.
Michael, I wish I'd said that about the aprons!
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