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To mark the 250th Anniversary of the publication of the first Book of Constitutions for the Antients Grand Lodge, the Library and Museum is putting on display its unique collection of editions of Ahiman Rezon. The display will examine the history and development of this important Masonic text, the masterpiece of Laurence Dermott, Grand Secretary of the Antients. The first edition drew heavily on the Books of Constitutions written for the Moderns Grand Lodge by James Anderson but later editions contained more original material and were much more critical of the Moderns so the book is also the story of the rivalry between the two. The exhibition will examine the sources for the book, its supporters, the importance of poetry and song, its publishing history and the legacy the book has left behind.
Included in the display will be a number of first editions, the second edition of 1764 with the first official publication of the arms of the Antients Grand Lodge, a copy of the 4th edition with a fine Masonic binding that was used by the Grand Lodge itself and a newly acquired copy of the 7th edition belonging to a military lodge attached to the 4th Battalion of the Royal Artillery. The Library and Museum online catalogue lists all the editions of Ahiman Rezon held by the Library and Museum with further details.
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