A black-and-white image of a busy street parade. Crowds line the sidewalks, and a large archway with a horse statue on top spans the street. Marching bands and numerous people walk in the parade. Buildings with flags and banners flank the scene.

A Mystic Brotherhood

Fraternal Orders of New Orleans

Art and objects related to the history of Freemasonry and Odd Fellowship in Louisiana

December 8, 2023 to May 10, 2024

520 Royal Street
Tricentennial Wing
2nd Floor

For centuries, Freemasons, Odd Fellows, and other similar fraternal organizations have contributed to the network of benevolent and mutual aid societies that cradle New Orleans’s social, cultural, and civic life. Dedicated to building friendship and understanding through a mission of charity, education, and goodwill, the first of these orders was established locally in the 18th century, and more than a dozen chapters, or “lodges,” remain active in the city today.

Through objects and images drawn from HNOC’s collections, the new exhibition A Mystic Brotherhood: Fraternal Orders of New Orleans explores the sometimes-hidden history of these organizations and illuminates how they helped shape today’s city. Visitors will meet many familiar names from New Orleans history as they survey the narrative, including William C. C. Claiborne, Oscar J. Dunn, and Homer Plessy—all lodge members—as well as learn about the many landmarks across the cityscape in which the history happened.

HNOC, gift of Arts Council of New Orleans,1996.93.50

HNOC, 92-51-L.237; MSS 408.2.230

The Etoile Polaire (Polar Star) No. 1 Lodge was organized by French-speaking citizens in 1794. The current Etoile Polaire No. 1 Lodge was constructed nearby, at 1433 North Rampart Street, in about 1847.

Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges became a familiar and integral part of life in the city for both white and Black New Orleans men by the mid-19th century. (Though women were excluded from joining the all-male lodges, there were auxiliary groups for them.) Between the Civil War and the early 20th century, they would be joined by lodges of the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Knights of Columbus, and others.

Beyond the bonds of fellowship, these fraternal lodges provided practical benefits to their members. In times of sickness, members received relief payments to compensate for their inability to work. The lodges also covered the costs of medical care, prescriptions, and funerals for their members, providing vital support to their beneficiaries. This economic impact extended to undertakers, physicians, druggists, printers, and regalia manufacturers, as well as the brass bands that performed during funerals and annual parades.

20231106 Mystic Brotherhood Faternal Orders of NOLA MC003 o6 copy

20240307 Mysteryand Benevolencewith Mystic Brotherhood Exhibit Opening Reception MC016 adj o6 1

20231106 Mystic Brotherhood Faternal Orders of NOLA MC029 o6 copy

20231106 Mystic Brotherhood Faternal Orders of NOLA MC013 o6 copy

Photos by Melissa Carrier, HNOC

Support

This exhibition is made possible with support from the following sponsors.

Media Partner

HNOC, gift of Arts Council of New Orleans,1996.93.50

HNOC, 92-51-L.237; MSS 408.2.230

A painting featuring an eye within a radiant sun above two classical columns. In the center are a square and compass with sprouting plants. A trowel and a beehive are on either side, on a tiled floor.

First Draft

Tall Orders

Masonic art and influence are all around us, but Freemasonry’s outsized mystique can make it difficult to separate fact from fiction. HNOC explains the real history of a world hidden in plain sight.

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