Masonic holders of the Victoria and George Cross

[wm5806]

Most Glorious of them All

To mark the 150th Anniversary of the institution of the Victoria Cross in 1856, the Library and Museum of Freemasonry is mounting a new exhibition about some of the holders of Victoria Cross who were freemasons.

The criterion for the award is simple- conspicuous valour in the presence of the enemy- but its winners have been drawn from all sections of the armed forces (and include some civilians under military command) and from all walks of life. In freemasonry holders of the Victoria Cross have achieved high rank but many were simply loyal members of individual lodges.

The exhibition draws extensively on a private collection of objects associated with individual winners. It includes everyday objects, fighting tools, ceremonial items, photographs and masonic regalia. These objects provide a physical link to their owners, their everyday nature transcended by their association with heroism. The items worn and used by famous people such as Nelson have become nationally iconic, the objects in this exhibition show how the lives of less well known men can still be accessed through objects that they used.

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Exhibition Location/Dates/Times

The Library & Museum of Freemasonry, Freemasons' Hall,

Great Queen Street, London

Monday 30th January - Friday 26th May 2006

(Monday to Fridays only) Open: 10am to 5pm

Admission free

[FireMedals]

WM,

This sounds like a great theme for an exhibit. I only wish I could get back to London by May. Do they allow photographs???

Firemedals

[wm5806]

WM,

This sounds like a great theme for an exhibit. I only wish I could get back to London by May. Do they allow photographs???

Firemedals

Regret that I don't know whether they will allow photography. It may be worth contacting the staff at the Library and Museum of Freemasonry to see whether they are producing a brochure or promotional material.

Masonic Quarterly magazine has one article I found in a past issue, and also mentions that the Prestonian Lecture will be on this subject.

Freemasonry Today has featured an article about an impending book on the subject (issue 13, page 11), but the article is only accessible to on-line subscribers - I cannot find my back copy of that issue (Google does have it in its cache still, if you just want to see the text). The book was written by Philip RS May GC, himself a Mason, and it now appears to have been finished (May GC, Philip, (ed. Cowley, Richard), Beyond the Five Points: Masonic Winners of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross, Twin Pillars Books, 2001).

More than that, I cannot at this late hour add , but a Google search finds 16,900 hits, but I'm sure that there's quite a lot of repetition and non-relevant references there, purely by the number of hits.

Good luck,

[wm5806]

The Library and Museum of Freemasonry in London have just (I think) updated their website with a page about this forthcoming exhibition. The page features the jewel of the Founding Master of the Earl Roberts Lodge and is just wonderful!

WM5806