Part 626: Photographing Scottish Rite Scenery
There was another significant moment that occurred during the 1909 Biennial Session of the Supreme Council of the Sovereign Grand Inspectors General of the Thirty-third Degree of Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, for the Southern Jurisdiction of the United States of America.
It was an attempt to regulate the use of photograph images of Scottish Rite scenery in publications throughout the Northern and Southern Jurisdictions. Both Supreme councils would implement legislation to limit the amount of visual information that was released to the general public. In other words, they were trying to keep certain elements “secret,” noting that too much was being “shared” with the general public. Up to that time, pictures of Scottish Rite scenery were included not only in souvenir programs for Scottish Rite reunions, but also in newspaper articles. For example, there were photographs of two degree settings published in the “Topeka State Journal” depicting the Egyptian and Peristyle settings for the 31st and 18th degrees, respectively ( 30 Oct. 1909, page 6). In 1909 Grand Commander James D. Richardson called for a stop to this practice at the Biennial Session, citing legislation that had already been implemented in the Northern Jurisdiction. From this point on, the publishing of photographs depicting Scottish Rite degree productions or scenery was strictly forbidden.
This legislation mostly worked until the 1970, and is now impossible in the age of social media where most Scottish Rite Masons have a camera on their phone. Today there are photos of degree work all over social media – scenes from reunions on Facebook posts, tweets and instagrams of Masons in costume. It is just too tempting for members not to post pictures of things they love.
However, 110 years ago, it was an entirely different issue when Grand Commander James D. Richardson realized that they needed to pull on the reigns of something that was becoming a runaway issue. In the section “Programmes of Reunions. Etc.” of the 1909 Transactions of the Supreme Council (page 64) Grand Commander Richardson commented,
“The inspection of the programmes published by some of our subordinate bodies announcing reunions, etc., and which are sent broadcast throughout the country, I think, will show that the form or ceremony conferring Degrees is advertised by illustrations in these programmes to an improper extent. Many of them are works of art and of exquisite taste. I have no desire to stop, or even discourage this attractive style of advertising, but am of the opinion that greater care should be exercised in the matter than is at present observed. When I was at the session of the Northern Supreme Council, September 1908, I heard with interest the discussion on this subject by Bro. Palmer in his Allocution. He had had his attention called to it by a request for permission to publish in a programme the photographs of the casts of some Degrees. I quote a portion of his reply to this request, as follows:
‘I have to say in reply that the rituals of the Scottish Rite Degrees, like those of all other Degrees in Freemasonry, are secret in all respects. The rituals of Freemasonry constitute its methods of teaching great truths to those who apply for and are found worthy to receive them. These rituals and methods of communicating them to those who have been duly chosen to receive them, in my judgment, rank with secrets of Freemasonry and should be most carefully guarded. No part of the forms or ceremonies connected with the conferring of Degrees, or any of them, or any part thereof, should be published or exhibited to those Masons, either by photographs, written or printed circulars, or advertisements in newspapers, either before or after the Degree or Degrees shall be conferred, and being of this opinion, I was obliged to decline to comply with the courteous request.’
This portion of the address was referred to committee. The committee reported the resolution which was adopted, and which declared, “That it is not permissible to print, publish, distribute, or exhibit any illustration of any part of the rituals, form, or ceremonies, connected with the conferring of degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, or any of them, or any part, or synopsis, in any manner of form, to the public, or to any one entitled thereto.”
I think it would be wise for the Council to adopt this, or a similar resolution. I am of the opinion that it would be well to require that all programmes and announcements of reunions should be submitted to the Inspector General, or Deputy of the Supreme Council in a jurisdiction where there is no Inspector-General for his approval before they are published and distributed.”
Fast forward ahead eight decades. A small troupe of theatre professors cross the country, documenting historic scenery collections in Scottish Rite theaters. This group, partially funded by USITT travel grants, included Lance Brockman, Larry Hill, Rhett Bryson, and Bruce Brockman. Whether together, or separate, each of the men spent hours gaining access to these significant historic scenery collections and documenting the painted scenery and stage effects.
Their visits caused quite a stir and soon a letter was sent out to every Scottish Rite Valley in the Southern Jurisdiction with the following announcement from the Grand Secretary General:
March 6, 1984
“TO ALL ACTIVES, DEPUTIES AND SECRETARIES
Dear Brother:
It has been brought to our attention that requests have been made in several Valleys in the Southern Jurisdiction to take photographs of the backdrops used in our ritualistic work. Further information has indicated that the individuals pursuing this project have no knowledge of Masonic ritual and consequently have engaged in useless and ignorant speculation concerning the uses to which these backdrops might be put. These discussions lead to derogatory criticism of Masonry.
My suggestion would be not ever to let anyone take photographs of any of the backdrops used in ritualistic work for other than Masonic purposes. This policy should eliminate future problems of this type.
With best wishes,
Cordially and fraternally yours,
Fred Kleinknecht
Grand Secretary General”
This action may have been the equivalent to throwing water on a grease fire. It was not out of spite that the men continued their documentation, but out of an understanding that the historic scenery collections were valuable cultural artifact shared by both the Fraternity and American public; each had a place within American history as well as Masonic history. Thankfully, the photographic documentation continued as Brockman trudged along with his research, soon facilitating the acquisition of two primarily Masonic scenery design collections – the Great Western Stage Equipment Company collection and the Holak Collection – for the Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota from 1988-1991. These were the two collections that I processed with two Undergraduate Research Opportunity Grants while working on my undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota.
In 1992, the symposium “Theatre of the Fraternity: Staging the Sacred Space of the Scottish Rite” was held from September 10 – 12 in Minnesota. This event was supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the University of Minnesota. Activities included a presentation at the Minneapolis Scottish Rite and even a trip up north to visit the Duluth Scottish Rite. The support for the “Theatre of the Fraternity” continued and by 1996, the touring museum exhibit “Theatre of the Fraternity: Staging the Ritual Space of Freemasonry, 1896-1929” opened at the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota before crossing the country. The exhibit was conceived and curated by Prof. C. Lance Brockman. A catalog was published in conjunction with the exhibit, including contributions by Kenneth L. Ames, William D. Moore, Mary Ann Clawson, Mark C. Carnes, C. Lance Brockman and Lawrence J. Hill. A few more years went by and many of these Masonic Designs became available for the general public in an online database (https://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch). This was the project that I helped with in both the design, selection and entering of metadata for each item.
In additional to archival work, I entered into the fray thru the back door of the Scottish Rite – the stage door – restoring deteriorating scenery and replicating historic compositions for various Scottish Rite theaters across the country. However, it was never simply about the art, restoration, or historical scene painting techniques. Working as an assistant to Prof. Brockman, provided me with the incentive to use the subject for my doctoral dissertation: “Scenic Shifts Upon the Scottish Rite Stage: Designing for Masonic Theatre, 1859-1929” (UMN 2009). All the while, membership in the Scottish Rite continued to decrease. Scottish Rite Valleys began closing their buildings and moving to alternative locations. If the new space did not permit the use of their old scenery, entire collections were abandoned or disposed of over the years. In some cases, photographs of Scottish Rite scenery taken by a handful of theatre professors and practitioners are the only thing that remain of these glorious collections. More will disappear in the decades to follow and I have to wonder which ones will survive.
My concern for this loss of this history is one of the reasons that I now daily publish digital images of Scottish Rite scenery to my public FB group Dry Pigment. I hope to raise awareness of this valuable resource for not only theatre practitioners, but also historians. It is also why I pushed so hard to include a degree portfolio, featuring the twenty-nine settings of the 1912 Santa Fe Scottish Rite stage in “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018). Full-page color plates of Scottish Rite degree productions, complete with costumed actors and props, may be all that is left someday. Believe me, convincing a secret society to publically share images of their scenery for all the world to see is no small feat, especially when I was very familiar that this fight had been occurring since 1909.
However, I am not alone, as many Scottish Rite Valleys across the country are attempting other ways to increase membership and sharing their stage. Opening up their doors to the public is one option to increase revenue with rentals. Here is an article in South Dakota magazine that explains why declining membership is prompting some Masons to shed the mystery. This is quite an interesting article that reads a bit like an advertisement:
https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/masons-losing-the-mystery
To be continued…
