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Heather K. Calloway
Albert Pike Curator, The Library of the Supreme Council, 33°
1733 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20009-3193
The Supreme Council's official publication,
now The Scottish Rite Journal, has evolved over the years to serve
the Brethrenin a variety of ways.
 Photo:
Dean R. Alban, 32°
In the basement of the House of the Temple, there was a small
room lined with what appeared to be books. Upon closer inspection,
it was evident that they were actually old magazines. The room
was filled from floor to ceiling with stacks of the dusty old
periodicals. Yellowed and somewhat worn, the magazines dated back
to 1904. These publications were copies of what is now The
Scottish Rite Journal.
Originally titled The New Age Magazine, The Scottish
Rite Journal was first published in 1904. It was not the first
publication of the Supreme Council. Previous to The New Age
was a quarterly volume called The Official Bulletin. Grand
Commander Albert Pike, who edited the volumes, suggested this
publication. The Official Bulletin was "intended to
be published at intervals of not more than three month…to
furnish official information" of the Supreme Council. According
to Pike, it was to "be strictly official and historical,
containing information of the action of the Supreme Council at
its sessions.... It will not be a vehicle for essays, discussions
or disputations...." The Official Bulletin was published
at the expense of the Supreme Council.
The Bulletin continued during Pike's lifetime, but once
he died in 1892, it ceased until Grand Commander James D. Richardson
put forth a new idea for the publication. He recalled "with
pride and pleasure the splendid Bulletins made and issued
by Grand Commander Pike. Their contents were always of the most
deeply interesting character." Richardson saw the value in
Pike's Bulletin, and stated, "I believe the time has
come when this Supreme Council should found and publish a monthly
Bulletin or magazine, to be devoted not only to its interest
and upbuilding and to the promotion of its objects and purposes
and to Free-Masonry, but to the education of the people in the
very highest sense."
In August of 1904, Richardson sent a letter to all of the members
inviting them to subscribe to The New Age. The magazine
was sent out free for one year. Unlike The Official Bulletin,
which was strictly about official matters, the new periodical
covered literature, science, philosophy, commerce, social, and
fraternal life. One intention of the new magazine was to reach
"cultured and intelligent readers who were not members of
the Masonic fraternity."
The new format of the magazine proved to be successful, as it
circulated among members and their families in the Southern Jurisdiction.
Unique to the first editions was a large advertising section filled
with ads for popular products of the day such as Studebaker cars,
Knox Gelatin, Palmolive Soap, Cream of Wheat, and other retail
items. The advertising was slowly replaced by classified ads,
and, later, only advertisements directly from the Supreme Council.
The original cover was designed in an Art Nouveau style, which
was a very popular art form at the time. Designed by Henry W.
Thayer and maintained from 1904 to 1909, the cover was changed
in October of 1909, when Egbert and Jacob designed one which displayed
the Square and Compasses behind the masthead, along with several
Masonic symbols which ran along the sides of the magazine. This
cover only remained until December of 1910, when the longest and
most recognized cover was established. This cover had a bright
yellow border with a photograph in the center. The first photograph
was of the House of the Temple, but the photo changed monthly
to display various Scottish Rite Cathedrals and Temples or unique
Masonic Lodges throughout the country. This format remained consistent
from 1910 until January of 1960.
During the 1960s, the cover was changed to a rich purple color,
with columns, the Double-Headed Eagle, the Sphinx, and a graphic
design of the House of the Temple in the center. While the cover
changed, the price remained the same as it did in 1904, only fifteen
cents per issue. By 1963, The New Age was received in over
half a million homes. In 1970, the cover was changed to display
photographs of popular American themes, holidays, and motifs.
At its peak in the 1970s, the magazine's circulation was well
over 640,000.
Another significant change in the cover format of the magazine
occurred in 1989 during the Biennial Session, when the title of
the magazine was changed to The Scottish Rite Journal.
The term "The New Age" had become associated with the
movement of the same name, and the Supreme Council believed that
this action would be a positive change. Recently, the magazine
has continued to update its features according to the latest techniques
in monthly publications, changing to an all-color format with
the April 2002 issue.
The Library is constantly being updated to accommodate new technology
and advances in preservation and the conservation of materials.
One of the latest projects was to create special storage areas
for the extra copies of The Scottish Rite Journal. While
the main library contains a full bound set of the Journal
for patrons' use, there were hundreds of extra Journals
stored in an old room in the basement, in old file cabinets, and
even in the garage located behind the House of the Temple. Our
Library undertook a major preservation effort to care for the
periodicals. The magazines were individually cleaned and are now
stored in a new dust-free archival room. Despite their age and
wear from years of storage, the various editions of the Scottish
Rite Journal have a remarkable past and a unique story to
tell. Each reveals a glimpse of the history of the Scottish Rite
in America.
Copies of The Scottish Rite Journal are only one of the
many collections found at the House of the Temple Library. Our
Library also includes a wide variety of other books including
Albert Pike's personal library, magazines and periodicals published
by local Masonic Bodies, Grand Lodge Proceedings, books which
belonged to famous Masons, and rare collections such as the Robert
Burns Library and the L. M. Taylor Collection of arcane literature.
Would you like to help build the world's premier Masonic library?
We currently maintain more than 250,000 volumes, which is one
of the largest Masonic resources in the world. Your donations
assist the restoration of the Library's rare books and the purchase
of special works of particular historic and Masonic value. Donors
will receive special benefits.
To join, visit our web page at www.srmason-sj.org/library.htm,
or you may contact the author of this article, Heather Calloway,
at the House of the Temple by E-mail (hcalloway@srmason-sj.org)
or by phone 202- 232-3579, Ext. 108. Please make donations payable
to: The Friends of the Library and send to: The Supreme Council,
1733 16th St. NW, Washington DC, 20009-3103, Attention: Friends
of the Library.
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