An Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry and Its Kindred Sciences (1925 Edition, 2 Volumes)
Author: Albert G. Mackey, M.D., 33°
Revised Edition by: Edward L. Hawkins, 30°, and William J. Hughan, 32°
Publisher: The Masonic History Company, Chicago – New York – London, 1925
Volumes: Two (A–L and M–Z)
Binding: Deluxe brown embossed covers with gilt Masonic medallion, decorative borders in red and blue, and gold-leaf endpapers embossed with Square & Compasses design
Description
Magnificent 1925 two-volume edition of An Encyclopaedia of Freemasonry and Its Kindred Sciences by Dr. Albert Gallatin Mackey—one of the cornerstone reference works in Masonic literature. This edition was prepared under the editorial direction of William J. Hughan and Edward L. Hawkins and published by The Masonic History Company, succeeding Macoy’s earlier printings.
This is among the most elaborate 20th-century presentations of Mackey’s work: each volume features gilt-stamped covers with colored borders, a portrait frontispiece of Mackey, illuminated color plates depicting “Charity,” “Faith,” and “Hope,” and gold-embossed endpapers bearing Masonic symbols—an uncommon luxury binding used only in early printings of this 1925 revision.
Condition
Both volumes clean and complete with sound bindings, light edge wear to spine tops, interiors bright with decorative gold endpapers intact.
Historical Significance
Albert G. Mackey’s Encyclopaedia remains the definitive Masonic reference work, tracing the symbolism, history, and philosophy of Freemasonry across centuries. This 1925 revision integrates corrections and updates by prominent British scholars Hughan and Hawkins and represents a bridge between 19th-century ritual scholarship and modern Masonic study.
The gold-leaf endpapers and illuminated art make this set highly desirable to collectors—far scarcer than the more common “Clegg” or later 1940s reprint editions.
