These are modern aprons and wearing the offices on the aprons is very modern. Masons used to wear their own aprons, which makes wearing your "jewel" on the apron difficult as these positions can change frequently. Most members of a lodge are not the officers. Some of the aprons shown on the page are specifically for appendant bodies most of which did not exist during Mozart's life. Templar for instance, which is an appendant body and not a officer of a lodge. Most of the modern rites are also just that modern. The only degrees you should really concern yourself with are the three of craft masonry.
Many period aprons are very busy with lots of symbolism on them, they are just as likely to be silk as they are to be lambskin, the traditional material. They were sometimes plain white, but they were just as often painted, embroidered, printed. They very commonly had ribbon ruching on the edges or fringe. They often were not square, like they commonly are today. Both of my reproduction ones for that reason have rounded bottoms as will my next one. (I have five Aprons) Here are some more historic apron styles: This first is a modern maker of repro aprons. http://www.craftsmansapron.com/custom-aprons.php These tend to be a little late I think for what you are looking at but they are originals http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/masonic-apron s/ This page has some limited information on how the modern and period aprons can vary, with an image of an apron earlier than what you seek. http://sites.google.com/site/mysticesotericart/about-george-washington-s-apr on/the-ancient-masonic-aprons This is supposed to have been Robert Burns' dont know about that, but the symbolism on it is very common for 18th century aprons. The pillars the pavement, the sun and moon compasses and level etc.. http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.sh/pubweb/publicSite.r?sContinent=EUR&; screen=lotdetailsNoFlash&iSaleItemNo=4361005&iSaleNo=17616&iSaleSectionNo=1 This is an apron that was Belonged to burns. It does show a level and a plumb which are the jewels of the Master of the Lodge as well as the Senior Warden, not two offices that are held by the same man at the same time! These are also however some of the working tools of a Fellowcraft and this does appear to be a Fellowcraft apron. That is one of the three degrees (or sometime four in Britain) of craft masonry. http://burns.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-000-027-122-C Here is a French 18th century apron. Many of the French aprons I have seen are far more "artsy" than the British and American ones. I am not certain that I have seen a Viennese apron. http://www.bridgemanartondemand.com/art/77755/Apron_of_a_Master_18th_century This link is from the premier research lodge. It has some links to various aprons and apron related items on the left. The Washington link is to the disputed Lafayette Apron. http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/aqc/apron.html Another typical example http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/old-masonic-apron here is a printed apron, they are usually single colored like this. At the Carlisle House in Alexandria VA, the duplicated this process for a repro by simply photocopying. http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/old-masonic-apron Here is another French apron, this one attributed to Franklin http://www.benfranklin300.org/frankliniana/result.php?id=560&sec=1 one more http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/MOH/vfpcgi.exe?IDCFile=/moh/DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFI C=84883,DATABASE=41828726, If you live anywhere were there are 18th century museums and houses you may have some originals of these around. They are NOT uncommon. The museum I work for owns a few, as does the Virginia Grande Lodge Museum. I have seen many in various house museums, Masonic lodges and some friends own some originals. The period one however, are distinctly different from modern ones. (its harder to tell the 18 from the 19th century ones however). "I'm your huckleberry" Ron Carnegie [email protected] -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Melody Watts Sent: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 11:11 PM To: Historical Costume Subject: Re: [h-cost] Masonic aprons .. a bit of info.. The aprons have different symbols on it to designate the position of the member in the Temple (meeting room) The "top Guy" is called the Worshipful Master, then there is the Templar., the Tiler, etc,etc.. The Aprons are easy to "read" like rank insignia in the Armed forces....so the are different. They also have a "Dress Apron" for formal occasion,more lux fabric. This site : http://www.masonicformasons.com/Apron.html Shows you the symbols close up and the "title" with it. Mozarts would reflect his position in the Lodge. and his "degree" (numerical designation ,as tohow far you tested and passed the rites) Did you see if there is any art workof him wearing his Apron? Hope this helps. Melody --- On Tue, 7/20/10, Kathryn Pinner <[email protected]> wrote: From: Kathryn Pinner <[email protected]> Subject: [h-cost] Masonic aprons To: [email protected] Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 12:01 PM The frst time I sent this, I'm not sure it went thru, so I'm trying again. Kate Pinner In the 18th cent., would all the aprons in a Masonic Lodge be the same? Or would the individuals have different ones? I ask because I'm doing Amadeus next year and the play calls for three of them. There is a portrait of George Washington in an apron and it is different from what is supposed to be his Masononic apron, so he had at least two different ones. Should make all the aprons the same of should they be different? I don't want to cause great offence to any Masons in the audience, but I kind of like the idea of them being different. Any symbols I really shoudn't use? Does anyone know what Mozart's apron really looked like? Kate Pinner Technical Coordinator Kelsey Theatre Mercer County College 609-570-3584 _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
