DeMoulin
Bros. Exploding Chair
This wonderful
chair came from a 50 year member belonging to the Masonic lodge of Highland,
Illinois. He purchased it 20 plus years ago from a 'surplus property'
auction whom they had hired to raise money for a large roof repair.
He told me he showed it to his Masonic neighbor
when he got it home, (whom was 80 years old at the time) and he said do you
want to sit on it, and he said: "$#@% No", I sat on it
50 years ago, and once was enough for me!
Here's
how it works: The jokester brother yanks on the cord which releases the
hook on the side... the legs fan out and as the base of the seat hits the
floor a smokeless gunpowder charge lets loose with a "big bang"
scaring the $#!% out of the new candidate seated in the chair, now on the
floor, while at
the same time entertaining all the brethren present with a good belly
laugh! Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha!!! This was back when they made going to
Lodge entertaining and strangely enough, lack of attendance or membership
wasn't a problem! Maybe our past brethren are trying to tell us
something!
Here is the DeMoulin Catalog page
from 1930 describing the trick chairs with all of the available features.
To see more of this side degree paraphernalia
(click here)
A special
"Thanks" from Brother Al Lohman, a 30 year collector and 30+ year
Masonic Lodge member from Wisconsin. Al trades on eBay under the User ID
"lochlohman"
