Museum News

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NEW BOOK: Along the Way – The Grand Masters Book

Indiana Past Master Barry B.L. White, OSM, has just published a new reference work of great importance to Indiana Freemasons. Along the Way: The Grand Masters Book, is a comprehensive listing of the men who have served as Grand Master for the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana, from 1818 through 2021, with histories, photographs, biographies of each of these brethren.
Proceeds from his new book will benefit the new Bartholomew County Masonic Museum taking shape in Columbus.
The price is $43.00 ($35 + postage) and may be ordered directly from Barry at barrywhite8098@gmail.com, or from the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana.
Barry White served as Senior Warden of the Dwight L. Smith Lodge of Research U.D. in 2019-21, a Past Master of Hartsville Lodge 547, and is currently serving as Master of Hope Lodge 150. He is the author of two other Masonic histories in Indiana: Hartsville Lodge No. 547: From the Past To the Future, and Steadfast Roots: A History of Freemasonry in Bartholomew County. In addition to his Masonic history books, Brother White has written several training books, one for Secretaries and one for Lodge Officers. The quarterly newsletter for Bartholomew County Lodges was his creation along with starting the Bartholomew County Past Masters Association. For his boundless dedication to Indiana Freemasonry, he was awarded the Order of Service to Masonry by the Grand Lodge F&AM of Indiana in May 2018.
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Welcome to our interns

Since 2011, the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana has contributed more than $30,000 in college tuition payments and wages to student interns pursuing degrees in Museum Studies at IUPUI. The COVID pandemic shutdowns and restrictions this year caused some unforeseen complexities for us. However, thanks to the IU Work/Study program, we have had the good fortune to be assisted by not one, but  two talented students this fall.

Olivia Underwood is pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Museum Studies. She has been working on a variety of projects for us on the Museum side, including new label designs and signage, developing archiving solutions for some of our artifacts, updating our computer resources, and more.

Duncan Kissinger comes to us with an Associate Degree in Library Science, and he is currently attending IUPUI seeking a degree in Labor Studies. Over the years, several of our volunteers have made attempts to at least sort and organize our book collection. But thanks to Duncan’s expertise this year,  we are at last undertaking a serious effort to digitally catalog our Library collection and make it publicly searchable.

Our antique card catalog hasn’t been updated since the late 1990s, and we have had hundreds of new books donated to us since that time. As this project progresses, the ability to search for our books online will be a boon to Indiana Masons, historians, researchers,  genealogists and countless others.

Many thanks to both Olivia and Duncan! They are normally in the Museum Monday through Thursday, so if you are downtown during the week, stop in and say hello.

 

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Library & Museum is again open


The Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana is again open to the public now that Indianapolis’ COVID restrictions have been eased.  The Museum is located on the 5th floor of the Indianapolis Masonic Temple, and can be accessed by appointment Monday through Friday from 10AM to 4PM. If there is no volunteer staff member immediately available, please ask at the Security desk.

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Pardon our dust…

The Library & Museum will remain closed this week as we finish up painting on the 5th and 6th floors of Indiana Freemasons Hall and re-set some of our displays. We hope to reopen the week of June 15th.

In the meantime, please explore our website. Here you will find online access to our collection database, links to the Indiana Freemason magazine archives dating back to 1923, book resources, featured artifacts, news and more. We look forward to welcoming Masons and the public very soon.

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Masonic Library & Museum COVID 19 Closure Notice

On March 13th, 2020, all Masonic activity in the state of Indiana was suspended due to coronavirus precautions. Per instructions issued by Grand Master Kenneth Roy, Jr. of Indiana, the Indianapolis Masonic Temple and the Masonic Library & Museum of Indiana will be closed to visitors and all but necessary staff beginning immediately. Only essential office staff, maintenance personnel, emergency contractors, and lodge Masters and officers will be permitted in Freemasons Hall and the Museum.

We currently anticipate being able to reopen the week of June 15th.

In the meantime, we at the Library & Museum encourage you to explore our online resources, such as our hundreds of back issues of the Indiana Freemason magazine, books and other documents, and our online visual catalog of the Museum’s physical collections. Links for all of these can be found at our website at www.mlmindiana.org

.GL COVID Virus Follow Up 3-15-20

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George Frank Sculpture Featured in April ’20 Indianapolis Monthly


As the COVID-19 pandemic nationwide shutdown rolls along, the April 2020 issue of Indianapolis Monthly magazine arrived today, featuring all of the city’s great restaurants we can’t go visit until the restrictions are lifted. Such are the odd vicissitudes of magazine deadlines closing sometimes months in advance of actual publication.

The back page of the magazine always features an unusual artifact from around the City every month. April’s artifact is none other than the Masonic Library and Museum of Indiana’s unique folk art sculpture by nineteenth century Indiana Mason George S. Frank. It is shown in a beautiful, full-page photo by Tony Valainis with a description of the piece, complete with a few words from our director Mike Brumback.

The magazine should be on news stands this week.

For more about Brother Frank’s remarkable and complex sculpture, see this much longer article HERE.

Like nearly every other facility in Indiana, we have been forced to close during the duration of the pandemic. Normally, we are open to the public. When this all passes, please do stop in and see us on the 5th floor of the Indianapolis Masonic Temple at 525 N. Illinois Street in Indianapolis.