African American Fraternal History Prince Hall Freemasonry and Eastern Star Ceremonial Life in New York Photograph Archive 1967–1990s

Black Fraternal Organization NY

Ephemera and pamphlets

Prince Hall Freemasonry ceremonial and civic life in New York appears throughout this archive documenting African American fraternal leadership during the later decades of the twentieth century. Prince Hall Masonic lodges formed one of the most influential institutional networks within Black communities in the United States, combining ritual practice with social leadership, charitable activity, and political engagement. The materials in this archive center on the activities of the Prince Hall Freemasonry in New York and its affiliated groups including the Order of the Eastern Star. The photographs and printed material record lodge gatherings, ceremonial regalia, and public processions during a period that spans the Civil Rights and Black Power eras and extends into the late twentieth century, illustrating the continued role of Black fraternal organizations in community leadership and public life.

Archive of thirteen items consisting of eleven original photographs, one greeting card bearing a sepia group photograph of members in formal regalia, and one printed program for the First Annual Masters’ Ball of the M.W. Alpha Grand Lodge held March 31, 1967 in New York. Items measure between approximately 4 × 6 inches and 8 × 10 inches. The printed program identifies officers of the M.W. Alpha Grand Lodge including Grand Master Homer Mathias and lists lodge representatives from boroughs across New York State. The program also includes a greeting from the jazz musician Count Basie. Several photographs depict lodge members in elaborate ceremonial attire including sashes, collars, gloves, and fezzes photographed within lodge rooms decorated with Masonic symbols. A color photograph mounted on wood and displayed behind glass identifies members of “Joshua Chapter No. 7, New York, New York, 1996–97,” associated with the Royal Arch Masonry. Additional studio portraits show members wearing formal regalia used in lodge ceremonies.

A sequence of color photographs documents a public parade involving Prince Hall Masons and members of the Eastern Star identified as Sisterhood Chapter No. 527, likely staged along a major avenue in Harlem or Brooklyn. Participants carry fraternal banners and march beside motorcycles and vehicles while wearing ceremonial clothing associated with the Masonic Shriners tradition, including red jackets and fezzes for male members and white regalia with star embroidered headdresses for female participants. The images illustrate the public visibility of African American fraternal organizations during the later twentieth century, when lodge events and parades functioned as both civic celebrations and demonstrations of institutional presence within urban Black communities. Minor edge wear visible across several photographs. Framed photograph shows a surface scratch to the lower corner of the glass. Overall condition very good.

Item #21921

Price: $1,350.00