Description
Offered here is a rare original 8×10 landscape photograph dated April 20, 1949, showing 17 women and 2 men gathered for an Installation Banquet at the historic Masonic Temple in Woodbury, New Jersey. Each of the women holds a flower, indicating their formal roles in the ceremony-likely an Order of the Eastern Star Chapter (#109), a Masonic-affiliated auxiliary known for elaborate installation rituals.
The event took place in the grand Masonic Temple at 48 North Broad Street, a striking three-story structure built in 1926 and home to Florence Lodge No. 87 for 85 years. This building remained a cornerstone of Woodbury’s fraternal and civic life until it closed in 2011. The back of the photo features clear period documentation:
*
Pencil: “Kaitlyn Gain” (likely one of the women pictured)
*
Pen: “Installation banquet, April 20, 1949. Masonic Temple. Woodbury NJ. Chapter #109.”
*
Stamp: Barry Studio of Portraiture, 720 South Broad St., Woodbury, NJ-a respected local studio specializing in formal group portraits.
This photograph is an exceptional and well-documented piece of local Gloucester County history, offering a direct window into mid-century fraternal traditions and the social life of Woodbury’s Masonic community. It is in very good vintage condition with some expected age toning and minor edge wear.
Please view all photos carefully to assess condition before purchase. This is a one-of-a-kind historical artifact ideal for collectors of Masonic memorabilia, local New Jersey history, or vintage fraternal ephemera.
