What do:
- the international best-selling novel, "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown,
- the hit movie, "National Treasure," starring Nicholas Cage, and
- the highly successful traveling Octagon exhibition, "The Initiated Eye"
have in common?
All three reveal the little-known contribution of Freemasonry to American culture and history. In an unprecedented collaboration with the Grand Lodge of Free And Accepted Masons of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC, and artist Peter Waddell, The Octagon, the Museum of The American Architectural Foundation, has organized an original exhibition focusing specifically on the interesting and significant contributions of Freemasons to the design and architecture of Washington, DC. The Initiated Eye is currently on exhibit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, and is scheduled to travel in 2007, to the Grand Lodge of Nebraska.
The tradition of Masonic architecture in the United States is grounded in a history far older than the establishment of this country. Many of this nation’s founding fathers were themselves Freemasons and the Masonic stamp is visible throughout the city of Washington, DC, the surrounding metropolitan area, and the entire country.
Featuring twenty-four original paintings by history painter Peter Waddell the exhibition tells the story of the city’s design from a new perspective and sheds light on the Masonic connections of many historic buildings in the nation’s capital. These paintings explain some of the secret symbols of Freemasonry and provide an understanding of how Masonic symbols were and are used as powerful symbols of this nation.
The exhibition demystifies the role that Freemasons have played in this nation’s architectural history and provides a new perspective on various historic events.
Peter Waddell
Peter Waddell, well-known for his work as a history painter, has created several series of paintings that have served as the foundation of popular exhibitions at The Octagon, including most recently, Inside the Temple of Liberty: 19th-Century Interiors of the U.S. Capitol Building (2002). A group of masons is working closely with Mr. Waddell to identify topics for the paintings and assist in the research necessary to ensure the accuracy of the work.
On Freemasonry
Freemasonry is one of the world’s oldest and largest secular fraternal organizations, whose members are concerned with moral and spiritual values. Freemasonry dates to the Middle Ages as an organization for stone masons, very similar to other craft guilds. Implements of architectural craftsmen are used symbolically in the organization’s system of instruction. Many American architects and builders have been and are Freemasons and the ceremonies of Freemasonry are still used at the dedication of the cornerstones of important buildings.
