The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 17, 1907, Page 7

+0e San Franclsco Sunday #EIRST PHOTOGRAPHS EVER PUBLISHED OF THE INTERIOR OF PHILADELPHIAZS FAR FAMED TEMPIE Temple in HE Masoric tn deis the finest e kind the worla, and most costly ever erected for t Phila- is tb ustve use of the Masonic frate Ite maseive and picturesque tower, t Masonlc landmark of the City of Broth- rly Love, rising majestically above all her bulldinge, can be seen miles ind, and is the Qrst obje o at t the attentiom of strangers The beauty of this temple has been aiscussed far gnd wide, and it has be eppropristely named the “Masonic wonder of the world.” It is & perfect spectmen of Norman srchitecture, bullt of a grayith white granite, and, like Solomon's Temple of old, has three gates, of which the eastern, on Broad street, is the grand emtrance. On June 24, 1368, the cornerstone was iald by Grand Master Richard Vaux, in the presence of 10,000 Masons. The articles deposited were: A copy of the Holy Bible, & copy of the Ahiman Rezon of the Grand Lodge of Philadel- phia, & list of lodges in this jurisdic. , & copy of the last annual publica- s ocopy of the resolutions of the nd Lodge in reference to the bulld- i¥g of the temple, & copy of the Ma- sonic Register for 1868, coins of the United States, a Washington penny of 1791, & Franklin penny of 1787, & plece FRIEZE DECORATION - Call. of wood cut from one of the cedars of anon, a of ma that part of the Golden Gate of the Templo of King Eolomon, & plece of stona from 1 of the Temple of Jeru- gold Masonic medal (key- stone), a sliver medal of Past Master Peter Willamson, 8 copper medal struck emoration of the election of of Wales as Grand Master, 4, 1790: a gold Mazonic ), a silver set of lodge jewels and the working tools of a Mas- ter Mason's lodge, the biography of Brother Stephen Girard, newspapers of the day, resolutions of the Grand Lodge in relation to the new temple, tho list of the building committee and the list of lodges and grand officers. The bullding was consecrated on Sep- tember 26, 1873, with unusual splendor, in the presence of over twenty thou- sand Masons, and four days later the Knights Templars consecrated their asylum In the temple with the most brilliant pageant ever seen In Phila- delphia, twenty six grand commanderies and subordinate commanderies being !n the public parads. The interior of this famous temple is the very perfection of beauty in every respect, both from the artistic and the Masonio polnts of view. The spacious and lofty hallways and staircases, composed of a variety of 'most ex- quisite marbi rned with mosiacs, reliefs and inting, are in perfect keeplng with the stately lodgerooms to ch they lead, all of which are ructed in the most characteristic s of architecture, from the ancient to the modern, the Egyptian, the Doric, the Tonic, the Corinthian, the Maur- esque, the Byzantine, the Romanesque, the Gothic_and the Renalssance perlods presented. George Herzog of New York and Philadelphia 1s the successful artist whose designs were accepted by the Temple committee, and under whose personal supervision all the decora- tions were done, all the important his- torical and allegorical paintings belng executed by himself, He has been par- ticularly successful in the introduction of characteristic features peculiar to the various etyles of architecture, the intdrior of temples, the costumes, ets., all being faithful portrayals of the perlods to which they belong, thus making this wonderful buflding not only picturesque but Instructive in the highest degree to the community, and it can be truly considered a veritable museum of history and art. The walls of the grand stalrcase show Masonic embles from all over the world, from Solomon's seal down to the eeals of the varlous grand lodges in the Unlon. The coat of arms of all the States of the Union are also represented here. In the large cove above is seen a procession of the fine and industrial arts, the life size fig- ures,. elad In rich costumes of the /s EGYPTIAN HALL Renulssance, marching ~toward the East, where the rising sun Is greeted joyously by youths who hail the life giving orb with songs of praise. The hallway of the second floor has an air of mysticism quite in keeping with the renowned Egyptian hall, to which 1t leads. The ceiling is composed of open timber work, above which is a cove painted in a deep biue and stud- ded with stars, through which the light falls, glving the effect of the starry dome of heaven on & clear night. In the decoration of Egyptlan Hall the effert to galn archaeological ac- curacy has been successfuily attained. One almost expects to find one of the Rameses worshiping her& Twelve huge columns stand In maassive grandeur on the four sides of this room, surmounted by eapitals peculiar to the temples of Luxor, Karnak, Philae and other ancient edifices In Egypt, each column having its original in that country. The frieze of the cornice represents the seasons and the hours of the day, as found In the temple at Edfou. The scenes of domestic life as deplcted upon the walls &re taken from the hypogea of the old empire and later sepulchers. é The-largest of the lodgerooms s the magnificent Corinthian Haill, where the Grand Lodge meets. It is unanimously declared to be the finest lodgeroom In the world, and its decorations are pre- eminent among the works of art in any Masonic building. It is in strict con- formity with the principlesl of Greclan architecture, its fluited columns being modeled after the historical monument of Lysicrates at Athens, and the pan- eled celling of the apse at the east end of the room and the caryatides supe porting it are after the celebrated pore tico of the caryatides in the same city, The {lluminating of this hall is & maryel of modern lighting; not & fixe ture is visible anywhere, these being concealed in niches representing wine dows, through which streams a flood of light, filling the room with a warm glow of & glorious sunrise and bring- ing intd full relief the classical beauty of the plctorlal representations, whish are taken from Greclan mythology and relate mostly to the spiritual life. These occypy elghteen panels In the large frieze running around the four walls of the room. In the pediment at the east end we see Heallos, the god of 1ght, who sheds his Bright beams ewer REAR, STAIR HAL. THIRD FLOOR. Peaco by Parker Kolfe- the earth and {lfumines the Intelligence plete description of all 1 the glories of this magnificent hom: of = ind, rising from the east in his gol :harfot, the flery steeds so Mfe- ltke 1at they seem about to spring from the wall. Opposite, on the west end wall, s & largs panel representing Jason and his fejlow Argonauts, with the assistance of Medea, slaying the dragon guardian of the Golden Fleece. A very Interesting panel, the birth of Pallas Athene, is over the junlor warden's chatr, on the south side of the room. Among the m of the other pan Hermes welghing Triptolemus over the earth In t ings, embd a clear underst gorical me: Masonie mysticisz The stately grandeur of the halls Is sive, and while t al o reliefs and the minutest rnament are replete with bolls not understood or sppreciatsd by the uninitiated, the pere nding of their alle- g3 and thelr relation to e 8 be s of vn his journey winged chariot of the goddess Demeter, teaching 8g* fact Rarmony, tha lofty conceptions and culture to the inhabditants of all lands; the Al artistio merit of these dec- Odysseus tempted by the girens, et appeal’ to all who enten, It 1s {mpossible to give here a com= whether of the fraternity or mot.