‘Storage Wars: The Shrining’

  

Courtesy A&E

The May 14 episode of Storage Wars (the original, in California) features the Shriners of El Bekal in Anaheim, who host bickering bidders Brandi and Jarrod, who are trying to learn the values of several pieces.

Nothing much to see here, but the kids donate the Shriner memorabilia, consisting of a set of four goblets—possibly antiques, possibly with gold trim—to an upcoming Shrine auction fundraiser. The other piece was a Shriner bobblehead which Jarrod damaged. Value: nada.

‘Historians and America’s First Secret Societies’

  
There are plenty of blogs out there devoted to Freemasonry, but it can be more fun reading blogs from outside the fraternity that occasionally focus on Masonry from their perspectives. It’s usually history.

From the Stacks, the blog of the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library, features a post today written by Mr. Kevin Butterfield titled Historians and America’s First Secret Societies. Butterfield is a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow at N-YHS this year. His research here stems from his doctoral dissertation.

Courtesy New-York Historical Society 

Click here to read the piece and see the accompanying art, including this image of the Masonic Hall, located on Broadway near Pearl Street, c.1831. Pretty churchly architecture, eh? Click the image to enlarge.