While today is indeed Friday the Thirteenth, the photograph presented today is NOT a club of triskaidekaphobiacs or triskaidekaphiliacs in full regalia. The photograph is of my maternal grandfather, Everett S. Carpenter (seated far left), with his fellow Masons. Sadly, the photograph is not dated and the others in the photograph are not identified.
Since my grandfather, like his father before him and his son after him, were members of Unity Lodge No. 34 in Lonsdale, Rhode Island, it is believed that this is a photograph of members of that Lodge circa 1959.
My great grandfather, Samuel Eber Carpenter, was a 32nd degree Mason, a past president of the Unity Masonic Company and a past master of Unity Lodge No. 34. In fact, he was one of the principal participants in the groundbreaking ceremony for construction of the Unity Lodge temple in Lonsdale, RI on November 22, 1927 (see http://filiopietismprism.blogspot.com/2013/04/friday-fotos-april-5-2013-breaking.html and http://filiopietismprism.blogspot.com/2013/04/mom-vs-google-note-to-self-always.html for more information about the groundbreaking and to see the temple building that resulted).
For the reasons stated above, it is believed today's photograph was taken in the Unity Lodge No. 34 temple in Lonsdale, RI in the late 1950s or early 1960s from the appearance of my grandfather.
If anyone has more information about this photograph, or if anyone can identify any of the other men in the photograph, please leave a comment.
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Original photograph in the collection of the author courtesy of my Aunt Lois, younger daughter of Everett S. Carpenter.
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Copyright 2014, John D. Tew
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John, is the Lodge still there? Would they have somebody in their archives division to help you? I know next to nothing about the Masons, but I always thought they kept excellent records. It's a shame nobody thought to write names on the back.
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