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Object Story: Acrostic “Portrait dedicated to Winthrop Eager”
H. Wilcox (American), Acrostic “Portrait dedicated to Winthrop Eager,” Massachusetts, 1811, watercolor and ink on paper. Gift of Jonathan and Karin Fielding, 2016.25.103
This portrait of Major Winthrop Eager documents his membership in the order of Freemasons (prominent Freemasons in the Revolutionary era included George Washington and Alexander Hamilton) and would likely have been shown only to other members. The Freemasons are one of many fraternal organizations that developed in England and Scotland in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. A fraternal organization is a group of men who come together for a particular purpose, often about learning or improving themselves or their work. Sometimes they focus on more social interactions. Many fraternal organizations like the Freemasons have specific rules for membership and often have rules about when, where, and how they meet. How are the Freemasons different than the Know Nothing Party? How are they similar? When is exclusive group membership healthy and when is it hurtful to others?
The image is an “acrostic,” which was a popular writing game in the 1800s. Sometimes it was used for writing secret messages, using the first letter of a name, phrase, or word to start another sentence. In addition to the writing, there are many symbols integrated into the image. The Freemasons use many different symbols and images as part of their rituals and practices. These symbols often represent tools that stone masons (men who built with stone) would use in their work. Some symbols represent stories from the Bible, particularly the stories about building.
Acrostic "Portrait dedicated to Winthrop Eager"
Acrostic "Portrait dedicated to Winthrop Eager"
H. Wilcox (American), Acrostic “Portrait dedicated to Winthrop Eager,” Massachusetts, 1811, watercolor and ink on paper. Gift of Jonathan and Karin Fielding, 2016.25.103
Freemason Lodge Treasurer
Every group of masons has different leadership roles for their members to play. The crossed keys may refer to Winthrop Eager’s role in his lodge as the treasurer.
Tools of a Builder
The square and compass reflect the tools of the builder.
Acrostic Poem
Several lines in the acrostic may likely refer to other common symbols and ideas of the Freemasons. Many of the lines demonstrate a dedication to Eager and his work.
[Acrostic]
With square, and compass, & the plumb & line,
Illum’d by heav’n, to act the Grand design!
No sons of darkness, can discern the light,
Taught from above, to give the blind, their sight.
Hew out your pillars, by the glorious Plan
Raise, then your Fabric, permanent to stand.
Of worth, possess’d as you have life begun,
Pursue your part, until the work is done!
Either in WAR, or in the private sphere,
Auspicious actions, through your life appear.
Great, as a soldier;—Just in all your ways—
Exhibit honor, thro life’s winding Maze;
Repose, in Peace, when Time, & life decays!
Compos’d May the 22, 1811.
Tools of a Stone Mason
A trowel is another example of the tools of a stone mason adopted by the Freemasons.
Toast to Hiram Abiff
The toast to Hiram Abiff relates to a key story told during one of the masonic rites. He is a metaphor for living nobly even in the face of death.
[Toast]
To him, who did the Temple rear,
Who liv’d, & died upon the square;
Is dead, & buried none know where,
Save those who Master Masons are.
Questions for Discussion
- How might symbols be used for in-groups to identify themselves to one another? Why might a group want to keep the symbols and their meanings private?
- In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries there were hundreds of fraternal groups that came together around many different ideals, activities, and purposes. Some are still around today and their symbols are in plain sight. Think about groups like the Rotary Club, The Lions Club, or Kiwanis. There are also many groups for young people too, like Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, 4-H, or Jack and Jill. What kinds of symbols, activities, and goals do these groups have?
