Fraternal Organization (6 results)
Published by Bridgeport, Bridgeport Lodge of Elks, 1888., 1888
- Softcover
Seller: Alexanderplatz Books, New York, NY, U.S.A.Alexanderplatz Books
Contact seller5-star sellerSoft cover. Condition: Fair. Self-wrappers. 8vo, 16 pp. Fair to good condition, two semicircular gaps about half the size of a quarter along spine about where staples might have been, the rims of which appear to be burned, few light curving lines of discoloration on final page. Text intact. Portrait on the front page of Bro. Al.… Emmett Fostell, who donated the relics. The exhibition commenced on December 4, 1888. Much Civil War material, also theatrical broadsides and other items as mentioned in the title. WorldCat shows a 1904 exhibition of Lincoln relics organized by Fostell. He was an important member of the Elks, to judge by a biography in a 1910 history of the organization.
But Do You Really Understand the Bible : No. 22 [compilation of Articles on Understanding What the Bible Teachs, Christian inspiration]
Knights of Columbus / Fraternal Organization / Joseph E. Ritter
Published by Supreme Council Knights of Columbus St. Louis Mo. 1958 Reprint, Pages are Aged, Yet Clean, 1958
Seller: GREAT PACIFIC BOOKS, Ventura, CA, U.S.A.GREAT PACIFIC BOOKS
Contact seller5-star sellerSmall Book. 40 pages. Paperback : soft cover edition in good to better condition, a typical used book with slight wear to edges and spine. Overall good / nice copy of this scarce title. Excellent reading on the subject. A good book to enjoy and keep on hand for yourself. Or would make a GREAT GIFT for the fan / reader in your li…fe. Reading is one of the great pleasures in life. Some marks on front cover. Please send us a note if you have any questions. Thank you. Some b/w Illustrations (illustrator). Book.
- Photo
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star seller[African American] [Fraternal Organization] Striking full-length studio portrait of a Black man in full ceremonial regalia of the Knights of Columbus, photographed by Penn Park Studio at 25-27 W. College Ave., York, Pennsylvania, "Near the York High School." The verso features an AZO stamp box with upward-pointing triangles, dat…ing the image between 1907 and 1915. Photo is a sepia toned real photo postcard measuring 3.5" x 5.5". The unnamed man wears a formal double-breasted uniform with white-trimmed cuffs and a white sash crossing diagonally from the shoulder, pinned with Knights of Columbus badge. A ceremonial sword hangs at his left side, suspended from a belt, and he wears white gloves and polished shoes. Most notably, he dons a plumed chapeau with the prominent cross affixed to the side. The Knights of Columbus, founded in 1882 as a Catholic fraternal benefit society, began admitting Black members as early as the first decades of the 20th century, though widespread integration occurred only gradually and unevenly across chapters. This image provides compelling visual evidence of early Black Catholic participation in the Knights of Columbus, a significant counterpoint to the racial exclusion practiced by many other fraternal and Catholic organizations of the period. His proud stance and formal dress reflect both personal stature and the aspirational public identity fostered by Black Catholic men within fraternal and religious communities. This image likely represents either a rare integrated council or a predominantly Black council that adopted the official regalia, affirming the role of Catholic fraternalism in shaping African American civic and spiritual life during the Jim Crow era. Top corners clipped and minor foxing to edges, small crease to bottom left corner, image remains mostly clean and crisp with the verso left blank. Overall very good condition. A rare and exceptional image documenting African American Catholic fraternalism, ceremonial display, and the early presence of Black men in the Knights of Columbus.
- Photo
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerPhotographs and printed ephemera documenting Prince Hall-affiliated fraternal organizations in the 1950s establish a record of African American civic, ritual, and social life during segregation, when Black institutions operated as central structures for leadership, mutual aid, and public identity. The archive identifies members…of the Prince Hall Shriners and the Daughters of Isis in formal regalia and organized settings across Detroit, Atlantic City, and Pittsburgh, situating these organizations within broader networks of African American middle class life and associational culture. The materials support research into Black fraternal history, gendered organizational roles, and the development of parallel institutional systems in response to exclusion from white Masonic orders. Archive consists of eight pieces, including seven original black and white silver gelatin photographs ranging in size from approximately 3.5 x 3.5 inches to 8 x 10 inches, and one printed banquet program for an event held at the Mystic Shrine in Pittsburgh in 1952. Photographs depict both indoor and outdoor scenes, including group portraits of African American men wearing Shriner fezzes, sashes, and gloves, and women in white ceremonial gowns associated with the Daughters of Isis, arranged in formal formation within lodge interiors. One image captures a parade in Atlantic City, New Jersey, showing Shriners riding in a convertible as part of a public procession, while others show gatherings in Detroit beneath signage including a Budweiser banner, indicating event sponsorship or venue affiliation. Additional photographs present members assembled in structured groupings, emphasizing uniformity, hierarchy, and ceremonial order within the organizations. The Prince Hall Shriners, formally known as the Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, were established in 1893 as an extension of Prince Hall Masonry, which originated in the eighteenth century to provide African Americans access to Masonic practice denied in segregated white lodges. The Daughters of Isis, founded in 1910, functioned as a parallel auxiliary organization for women, participating in ritual, charity, and social programming. By the mid twentieth century, these groups played a visible role in public life through parades, civic events, and institutional gatherings, reinforcing community cohesion and leadership within segregated American society. Light creasing, corner wear, and minor surface abrasions across photographs; program well preserved; overall very good condition. This archive provides direct visual documentation of African American fraternal organization, ceremonial practice, and public presence in the pre-Civil Rights era.
- Signed
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerBert Cooper fraternal archive documents participation in the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World between 1952 and 1982, establishing a continuous record of Black civic leadership, social organization, and institutional life within a segregated and post-segregation United States. Materials tied to Cooper…'s role within the P.G.E.R. Club of Cleveland trace his progression into leadership positions, including treasurer, and document sustained engagement in local lodge governance and national convention culture. The archive supports research into African American fraternal networks, mid- to late-20th century Black associational life, and the role of ritual organizations in structuring community authority, leisure, and mutual aid. Archive spans 1952-1982 and comprises 16 items including programs, invitations, admission cards, tickets, and printed memorabilia associated with I.B.P.O.E.W. and affiliated bodies in Cleveland and at national conventions. Formats include bifold programs and single-card ephemera ranging approximately from 3 x 5 inches to 8.5 x 11 inches. A green bifold program for the Ninth Annual Ball of the P.G.E.R. Club of Cleveland, November 12, 1977, lists Cooper as Treasurer alongside President James Frost and Financial Secretary Stafford P.M. Berry, accompanied by a signed admission card bearing "Bert Cooper." A 1979 Cabaret Party program again identifies Cooper in the same office, confirming sustained leadership. Additional materials include a 1975 P.G.E.R. Club invitation, souvenir programs for Sweetheart Balls, and a 1976 Mary B. Talbert Temple No. 257 Dinner Dance marking 52 years of Elkdom. Tickets from King Tull Lodge No. 389 Cocktail Party and Raffles, along with national convention programs including the 70th Grand Lodge Convention in Atlanta, 81st in New Orleans, and 83rd in Washington, D.C., provide itineraries, organizational histories, and illustrated depictions of fraternal ritual. Supplementary items such as birthday invitations, Phillips House of Flowers membership tags, and a travel club gambling excursion flyer document a broader circuit of Black social and leisure activity structured through fraternal affiliation. Founded in 1897 by B. F. Howard and Arthur J. Riggs following exclusion from the white Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the I.B.P.O.E.W. developed as a parallel national institution providing structured leadership, mutual aid, and ceremonial life within Black communities during Jim Crow and beyond. Local elite groups such as the P.G.E.R. Club functioned as concentrated centers of influence, bringing together past leaders within lodge hierarchies. Programs in this archive document formal social events held at commercial venues such as the Holiday Inn in Strongsville, including a 1979 event scheduled "from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.," with music, dress codes, and admission structures that reinforced status and community cohesion. National convention materials foreground figures such as Grand Daughter Ruler Mrs. Nettie B. Smith and reflect the central role of the Daughters of Elks in expanding organizational reach across gender lines. Together, the materials document how fraternal institutions sustained parallel civic infrastructures, social mobility, and organized leisure within African American urban life during the mid-20th century. Minor edge wear, occasional corner creasing, and light handling visible across several items; printed surfaces generally clean and legible. Overall very good condition. Cohesive documentation of long-term participation within a major Black fraternal order offers sustained evidentiary value for the study of African American institutional networks, leadership structures, and social life in the urban Midwest. Signed.
More images- Manuscript
Seller: Max Rambod Inc, Woodland Hills, CA, U.S.A.Max Rambod Inc
Contact seller5-star sellerPrince Hall Freemasonry ceremonial and civic life in New York appears throughout this archive documenting African American fraternal leadership during the later decades of the twentieth century. Prince Hall Masonic lodges formed one of the most influential institutional networks within Black communities in the United States, com…bining ritual practice with social leadership, charitable activity, and political engagement. The materials in this archive center on the activities of the Prince Hall Freemasonry in New York and its affiliated groups including the Order of the Eastern Star. The photographs and printed material record lodge gatherings, ceremonial regalia, and public processions during a period that spans the Civil Rights and Black Power eras and extends into the late twentieth century, illustrating the continued role of Black fraternal organizations in community leadership and public life. Archive of thirteen items consisting of eleven original photographs, one greeting card bearing a sepia group photograph of members in formal regalia, and one printed program for the First Annual Masters' Ball of the M.W. Alpha Grand Lodge held March 31, 1967 in New York. Items measure between approximately 4 × 6 inches and 8 × 10 inches. The printed program identifies officers of the M.W. Alpha Grand Lodge including Grand Master Homer Mathias and lists lodge representatives from boroughs across New York State. The program also includes a greeting from the jazz musician Count Basie. Several photographs depict lodge members in elaborate ceremonial attire including sashes, collars, gloves, and fezzes photographed within lodge rooms decorated with Masonic symbols. A color photograph mounted on wood and displayed behind glass identifies members of "Joshua Chapter No. 7, New York, New York, 1996-97," associated with the Royal Arch Masonry. Additional studio portraits show members wearing formal regalia used in lodge ceremonies. A sequence of color photographs documents a public parade involving Prince Hall Masons and members of the Eastern Star identified as Sisterhood Chapter No. 527, likely staged along a major avenue in Harlem or Brooklyn. Participants carry fraternal banners and march beside motorcycles and vehicles while wearing ceremonial clothing associated with the Masonic Shriners tradition, including red jackets and fezzes for male members and white regalia with star embroidered headdresses for female participants. The images illustrate the public visibility of African American fraternal organizations during the later twentieth century, when lodge events and parades functioned as both civic celebrations and demonstrations of institutional presence within urban Black communities. Minor edge wear visible across several photographs. Framed photograph shows a surface scratch to the lower corner of the glass. Overall condition very good.
