tempus fugit

By ceridwen

Masonic dolls

Taking a tour of a masonic temple was bound to be strange - Philadelphia's is vast and opulent enough to satisfy Kubla Khan - but even more bizarre were these dolls I spotted in the gift shop (yes, there was one!). Labelled "Limited edition byers' [sic] choice carolers" they represent, from left to right, Brother John Philip Sousa (conductor and composer of marches), Brother George Washington (first president of the United States), and Brother Benjamin Franklin (founding father and polymath), all of whom were freemasons - hence their aprons. Ben Franklin, despite his glitter, was priced at $5 less than the other two which cost $75 each.
The shop assistant, noticing my interest, told me proudly that the figures were made especially for the temple and were not available anywhere else. I was thinking: WHO could possibly want to buy masonic dolls and WHY?

Comments
Sign in or get an account to comment.