For someone such as our Grand Master, HRH The Duke of Kent, it must be rare for a particular event to stand out, but it seems that the tercentenary celebrations certainly made quite the impression as he has taken a personal interest in an upcoming book commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Premier Grand Lodge. The same year also held special significance for the Duke as it marked his 50th anniversary as Grand Master. He was installed on 14 June 1967 during United Grand Lodge of England's 250th-anniversary celebrations, which were also held at the Royal Albert Hall.
Founded as the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster in the Goose and Gridiron Tavern in London in 1717, this historic moment didn’t just belong to English masons, but was a turning point in how Freemasonry developed worldwide and expanded over the years. And so it was, three centuries later, that brethren from around the world gathered in the rather more spacious and grand Royal Albert Hall for a spectacular event. An event that was the culmination of countless hours of labour.
Despite the grandiose venue, there were many more who would have liked to have attended than was possible, and so, the world's oldest masonic publisher Lewis Masonic is due to produce a volume that will transport the reader to that momentous occasion. The author of this new title is Oliver Lodge, the Grand Director of Ceremonies who oversaw the organisation and smooth running of the event. Orchestrating such a large scale and prominent once-in-a-lifetime event with so many distinguished guests took a great deal of careful planning, and of course a supportive team, so this will be an opportunity also to understand a little of the behind-the-scenes work too. The volume will be illustrated throughout by spectacular photos, promising to act as a permanent exhibition of the great tercentenary celebrations.
Taking time out of his busy schedule, the Duke of Kent was kind enough to meet with the Lewis Masonic team to review the design, publishing and production process for this historical work. Lewis’s Managing Director, Martin Faulks, had brought a few antique titles from the Lewis archives showing the publisher's early days as ‘A Lewis’. After a brief introduction to the history of Lewis Masonic, the Grand Master was then given an overview of the publishing process by Kindra Faulks, Publishing Director. Kindra brought with her a selection of printer’s proofs not only showing different layout options, but also some of the finer points of book design such as decisions on typeface and colour.
The Grand Master’s involvement with the project even extends to putting pen to paper as he will be contributing the foreword!
All images © Chris Allerton
