Of the 14 Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas only one has allusions to Freemasonry, an amusing parody in the opening act to The Grand Duke, first performed in March 1896. The scene is set in 1750 in the marketplace at Speisesaal in the Grand Duchy of Pfennig Halbpfennig. Members of a theatrical company, of which [...] Read more »
The designation of Archbishop of Canterbury is an ancient office tracing its origins to St Augustine in 597AD. He is the head of the Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion. In the long and distinguished list of these archbishops only one has been a freemason: The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr [...] Read more »
Transcript of the lecture first delivered on the occasion of the 250th Anniversary Meeting of the Enoch Lodge No XI UGLE WM, R W Pro Grand Master (Lord Northampton), distinguished Brethren & Brethren I know a number of Masons that would place a good bet that if the missing minutes of this Antients Enoch Lodge [...] Read more »
Written version of the talk delivered to the Burlington Lodge on the 250th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday 05 December 2006. (I am indebted to Richard Sandbach, whose article in AQC 102 is my main source for this brief post) WM, Distinguished Brethren & Brethren, It is a great honour to be invited actively, so to [...] Read more »
There are great freemasons and there are great men who were freemasons. Winston Spencer-Churchill belonged to the latter category. As Freemasons we naturally take pride in having men of stature as members of the fraternity. But have we, at times attributed, too much significance to their Masonic association? Maybe more than they themselves have done? Winston [...] Read more »
Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son Donald will forever be venerated as world famous speed record holders. They shared those characteristics manifest in all men of greatness, a sense of courage and perseverance. They followed each other in the success of their respective careers and were both active Freemasons. Malcolm Campbell was born in Chiselhurst, [...] Read more »
The Very Reverend Sir Israel Brodie, KBE., BA., BLitt., (1895-1975) Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation of the British Commonwealth of Nations (1948-65), was an active and energetic freemason and personified British Jewry at its best. Notwithstanding the expulsion by Edward I in 1290, the Jewish community have always enjoyed tolerance in Britain unequalled [...] Read more »
David Garrick (1717-1779). - born in Hereford, England of Huguenot descent Garrick came to London in the 1730s accompanying his friend Samuel Johnson. It is generally accepted that he was the greatest actor in the history of the English theatre. Garrick very quickly made a name for himself by acting in Richard III in October [...] Read more »
There are many questions in the long history of Freemasonry which perturb scholars and to which there really are no definite answers. For instance, it is now well established that Elias Ashmole was the first English speculative free mason initiated in July 1646. Could he have been initiated in an operative working Lodge? It is [...] Read more »
INTRODUCTION Dr Thomas John Barnardo (1845-1905), nicknamed ‘The Doctor’, is recognized as a leading reformer of the 19th century on a par with Sir Robert Peel, Elizabeth Fry and Florence Nightingale. Single-handed, over a period of four decades, he improved the life of hundreds of thousands of destitute children. His first home opened in the [...] Read more »
The name of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is synonymous with Sherlock Holmes. Yet during Sir Arthur’s long and distinguished life his interests, and his work and writings, extended far beyond the stories published as the Canon, the collective term used for the sixty Holmes stories and novels. Read more »
Sold at the Sotheby London auction in December 1983. Contemporary report by Yasha Beresiner. I have no hesitation at all in my mind as to the most enthralling ‘playing card experience’ of my life. It was the opportunity I was given to bid on behalf of a client at auction for the earliest and rarest [...] Read more »
Playing cards have been around for centuries. The earliest report, in Florence at the end of the 14th Century, is an edict banning their use because they are ‘The Devil’s Picture Book’. Not surprisingly, there are such things as masonic playing cards. First however the more esoteric aspect of the subject: Tarot Cards. Waite Tarot and masonic association [...] Read more »
Illustrated talk presented at the International Playing Card Convention (IPCS) London September 1995, by Yasha Beresiner The Worshipful Company of Makers of Playing Cards is one of the many trade guilds of the City of London. The guilds trace their origins to the self-care liveries of the Middle Ages. The Playing Card Company was granted its charter [...] Read more »
Report by Yasha Beresiner on the visit to the Museo ‘Fournier’ de Naipes de Alava by delegates to the IPCS and Asescoin Annual Convention Vitoria- Gasteiz. 23rd to 25th September 1994. BEGINNINGS As we walked into the newly completed and impressive Palacio de Bendania we could feel this was the culmination of the first phase [...] Read more »
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We have over 3000 decks of cards listed and upload new ones almost daily. This section, in addition to Books on Playing Cards, includes Tarot and Fortune Telling Cards, Card Games and Magic Cards, Single Cards of which the Secondary Use of Playing Cards are of particular interest, and Uncut Sheets. Playing Card Ephemera is in the Ephemera section.
Of the 14 Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas only one has allusions to Freemasonry, an amusing parody in the opening act to The Grand Duke, first [...] more »
The designation of Archbishop of Canterbury is an ancient office tracing its origins to St Augustine in 597AD. He is the head of the Church of En[...] more »
Transcript of the lecture first delivered on the occasion of the 250th Anniversary Meeting of the Enoch Lodge No XI UGLE WM, R W Pro Grand Master[...] more »
Written version of the talk delivered to the Burlington Lodge on the 250th anniversary celebrations on Tuesday 05 December 2006. (I am indebted t[...] more »
There are great freemasons and there are great men who were freemasons. Winston Spencer-Churchill belonged to the latter category. As Freemasons[...] more »
Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son Donald will forever be venerated as world famous speed record holders. They shared those characteristics manifes[...] more »
The Very Reverend Sir Israel Brodie, KBE., BA., BLitt., (1895-1975) Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation of the British Commonwealth of [...] more »
David Garrick (1717-1779). - born in Hereford, England of Huguenot descent Garrick came to London in the 1730s accompanying his friend Samuel J[...] more »
There are many questions in the long history of Freemasonry which perturb scholars and to which there really are no definite answers. For instanc[...] more »
INTRODUCTION Dr Thomas John Barnardo (1845-1905), nicknamed ‘The Doctor’, is recognized as a leading reformer of the 19th century on a par wi[...] more »
The name of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is synonymous with Sherlock Holmes. Yet during Sir Arthur’s long and distinguished life his interests, and h[...] more »
Sold at the Sotheby London auction in December 1983. Contemporary report by Yasha Beresiner. I have no hesitation at all in my mind as to the mos[...] more »
Playing cards have been around for centuries. The earliest report, in Florence at the end of the 14th Century, is an edict banning their use bec[...] more »
Illustrated talk presented at the International Playing Card Convention (IPCS) London September 1995, by Yasha Beresiner The Worshipful Company [...] more »
Report by Yasha Beresiner on the visit to the Museo ‘Fournier’ de Naipes de Alava by delegates to the IPCS and Asescoin Annual Conven[...] more »