Introduction

Illustration of Sciopticon, showing views in Lodge room, ca. 1900, Masonic Lodge Supplies, Costumes, and Paraphernalia Catalogue, Pettibone Bros. Manufacturing Company.

The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library owns a large collection of magic lanterns and glass lantern slides, many of which were donated by Masonic and fraternal groups including the Knights Templar, Knights of Pythias, and Odd Fellows. The magic lantern, a precursor to the slide projector, was a popular education and entertainment device in the late 1800s and early 1900s. "Illuminating Brotherhood" outlines the history of the lantern and explores how Masonic and fraternal lodges used them in their instruction and ritual.