Four Old Masonic Prints by Thomas Palser, published between 1809 and 1812

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For sale I have a very old set of four hand-coloured Masonic Prints. I had them for many years not knowing much about them, but recently decided to see if I could find out something about them and their history. As a consequence I wrote to UGLE. The reply from the Librarian at Great Queens' Street is appended below and proves to be very interesting - fascinating: "......Whatyou have is four prints from a collection of seven. Your prints are by an English publishercalled Thomas Palser ( Surrey Side Westminster Bridge [ London ]). Palser may have published the engravings separately between 1809 and 1812 but they were also sold bound collectively under the title, "Series of designs from authentic documents, seriously exhibiting the principal ceremonies hitherto so mysteriously concealed at the initiation of an entered apprentice and master freemason." The bound set also included two pages of what was purported to be the text of the ritual of initiation. Palser's target audience was probably not freemasons, as his work would have been considered an exposure of Masonic ritual by the two English Grand Lodges at the time. Freemasons would have objected to the words of their ritual being published in 1812 and the certainly would have objected to the prints. That is not to say they wouldn't have purchased them. Quite a few lodges have copies in their archives. However, they may not have completely recognised the rituals being depicted by Palser because, the prints are not based on Palser's first hand experience of freemasonry (as far as is known, he wasn't a freemason) but are scene for scene copies at a set of prints published in Leipzig in 1745 for the French market by Johann Martin Bernigeroth called "Les Coutumes des Francs-macons", which were based on the rituals as they were performed in continental Europe in 1745. Palser has used the same figures as Bernigeroth in his prints but has changed their outfits and hair, so they look English and from the early 19th Century rather than the mid 18th. There clothes are not as fine as in the 1745 prints, the interiors are simpler and there are less people with wigs. We have several versions of the Palser prints. They all appear to have been hand coloured, some with a lot more skill than others. All the Bernigeroth engravings that I have seen, including the one in our collection have not been coloured. Of the Palser set, each plate is numbered and you have Plates 3, 4, 5 and 6. Plates 1 and 2 are titled "A meeting of Freemasons for the Reception of Apprentices" but Plate 6 is another of the plates regarding "A Meeting of Free Masons for the Admission of Masters" We have several sets of the engravings including bound and unbound sets. I have seen copies in several Masonic museums in England , Europe and the United States, so I assume that they sold well in their day. I have also seen sets framed and hung up in Masonic centres............ So, my prints are, it appears, only a part of the full set - but they are all I have and they make a nice set! They are in very good condition and would look lovely framed and glazed in a lodge room or hallway or anywhere for that matter. Ordinarily I do not post to overseas (due to an expensive and upsetting previous transaction) but in this case I am happy to post to Masons anywhere but would overseas buyers please contact me for postal costs. Best wishes and read more

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