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GOULD, Robert Freke. The History of Freemasonry: Its Antiquities, Symbols, Constitutions, Customs, etc. New York: John C. Yorston & Co., [n.d., ca. 1885].
2 vols. 4to (11 1/4\" x 7 3/4\") Vol 1: pp, [8], 380. Vol 2: pp, [2], 374. Bound in original red cloth with elaborate gilt-stamped Masonic iconography and blind-embossed borders to front boards and spines. All edges are stained red with a speckled pattern. Illustrated with numerous plates, including chromolithographic title pages and steel-engraved portraits, all with protective tissue guards. Volume I includes several blank leaves for a \"Mason’s Record.\" Good condition. Vol. 1 exhibits a weakened binding and a cracked gutter at page 111, resulting in a single loose leaf with significant chipping to its edges. The red cloth covers of both volumes are rubbed and lightly soiled, with bumped corners. Pages are uniformly yellowed with age but remain remarkably clean. Vol. 2 features a large water stain on the rear board, which has caused light, unobtrusive wrinkling to the terminal leaves.
Robert Freke Gould (1836–1915), a soldier, barrister, and prominent Freemason, revolutionized the study of the Craft with this \"Authentic School\" approach, which prioritized verifiable historical evidence over the romanticized legends often found in earlier Masonic texts. This Yorston edition, notable for its high-quality steel engravings and vibrant chromolithography, was marketed extensively to the American fraternity in the late 19th century. The \"Mason\'s Record\" pages in the first volume, left blank in this copy, were intended to transform the work into a personalized family heirloom, documenting the owner\'s progress through the degrees of the lodge.
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