"From Darkness to Light"
Masonic
Membership Poster dtd 1887
This
old Masonic
certificate is dated and copyrighted 1887 - Pettibone Mfg. Co.,
Cincinnati. This is a certificate that would have been filled out and
presented to a new Master Mason. The lower right corner reads "This is to
certify that our worthy Brother who has written his name on the rock... has
been regularly initiated as an Entered Apprentice, passed to the Degree of
Fellow Craft and "raised" to the sublime degree of Master
Mason". The bottom reads "From Darkness To Light". It
measures 21 3/4 inches wide by 27 1/2 inches tall.
A 1914
Edition of Darkness to Light Poster
This membership
print was published by J. Adams Co. of Indianapolis, Ind. in 1914. This
is the top half, at the very top is the All-Seeing Eye overlooking King
Solomon's Temple with stars & moon on the left, and Noah's ark and a
rainbow on the right. Under this in large letters is "'I AM THAT I AM.'
- EXOD, 111.14."
It measures 28 3/8" high and 22.5"
wide and is very similar to the 1887 edition with a few minor changes.
Can you spot them?
This is a view
of the middle section of the poster. The pictures below show some close-ups,
but this is an overview. Throughout the certificate are printed
stages of Masonic membership such as "Created and dubbed a knight of the Red
Cross, Knight Templar and Knight of Malta of the Order of St. John of
Jerusalem." Another reads "Exalted to the sublime degree of Royal Arch
Mason". There are blanks for dates - this particular certificate is free of
any writing.
This is a view
of the bottom section. There are some scenes from the Bible and many
symbolic images as well, like the Broken Column statue. At the right
reads "THIS IS TO CERTIFY that _____ whose signature appears upon the margin
in his own handwriting has been regularly initiated as an ENTERED APPRENTICE,
passed to the Degree of FELLOW CRAFT and raised to the sublime Degree of
MASTER MASON and is a member of ____ No ______ at _______ and we recommend him
to all Brothers and Fellows wherever dispersed." with... At the center
of the bottom it reads "WAS BORN IN _____ DAY OF _____ CALLED FROM LABOR TO
REFRESHMENT." with spaces for "AGED, YRS, MOS, DAYS".
Here is a
close-up of the lower left corner. At the bottom reads "ENTERED
ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGRESS, IN THE YEAR OF 1914 BY THE J. ADAMS CO.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND."
Here is a
close-up of the lower right corner with the section described above that reads
"THIS IS TO CERTIFY...". At the bottom of the lower right reads "REVISED IN
THE YEAR OF 1914 AND PUBLISHED BY THE J. ADAMS CO. INDIANAPOLIS, IND."
Here is a
close-up of the bottom center and the Broken Column statue. Note the
change of the posters name to "Our Emblematic Mystic Light of Masonry".
It is printed on thick, high quality, very old paper - similar to a parchment.
