בידספיריט | Mackey, Albert G. An Encyclopedia

Mackey, Albert G. An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry. The Masonic History Company, 1920. Two Volumes. - A two-volume set entitled An Encyclopedia of Freemasonry and Its Kindred Sciences by Albert G. Mackey, M.D., 33. This new and revised edition was prepared with the assistance of William J. Hughan, 32, and Edward L. Hawkins, M.A., 30. Published by The Masonic History Company, New York and London, 1920. The volumes are bound in publisher's black cloth with decorative blind-stamped borders. The front covers feature a circular gilt seal for The Masonic History Company with a central lamp and book motif and the motto Light is Knowledge. The spines are decorated with gilt lettering and a large Masonic square and compasses emblem. The interior features green and yellow marbled endpapers. The work is profusely illustrated with various plates, including a frontispiece portrait of the author with a facsimile signature reading Yours fraternally Albert G. Mackey. Other illustrations include color plates of allegorical figures and historical portraits, one side of which is hand-painted and attributed to Batiste Madalena, as well as black-and-white plates depicting architectural elements, biblical scenes such as the Ark of the Covenant, and Masonic symbolic diagrams. The text is arranged in an encyclopedic double-column format. The bindings show significant wear and deterioration. There is heavy rubbing, staining, and surface loss to the black cloth on the front and back covers of both volumes (photo 2, 3, 16, 17). The spine heads and tails exhibit major fraying and loss of cloth material, particularly at the top of Volume II (photo 1, 15, 18). Both volumes have compromised structural integrity; the inner hinges are cracked, with the mesh lining and binding structure exposed at the gutters (photo 5, 19, 25). Internally, the pages show marginal toning and scattered light foxing throughout (photo 7, 9, 20).