If you are in the New York City area, come out and see my friend and Brother Mark Koltko-Rivera at the Museum of Interesting Things on Sunday, August 23rd at 4:00PM, at the Prince Street Loft. The topic will be "Freemasonry in 19th Century New York: A True Story of Murder and Resurrection." Please note that seating is quite limited and that advance tickets are a must.Come and explore the history of Freemasonry with the New York 19th Century Society! From mysterious origins to current practice, the speaker Dr. Mark Kotlko-Rivera will discuss the origins and activities of the ancient order of Freemasons, commonly know as the Masons. PLUS FREE admission to the Secret Speakeasy immediately following, where you can see and handle real Masonic antiques and artifacts and enjoy lively discussion over drinks with fellow 19th-century enthusiasts!
The world’s oldest and largest fraternal organization, the Freemasons entered the world of nineeteenth-century New York as a respected group that claimed many civic, religious, and political leaders among its numbers. By the late 1820s, Freemasonry was in tatters, under accusations of having committed ritual murder in an upstate community, and it became the focus of the first single-issue political party in American history, the Anti-Masonic Party. Hounded almost to extinction, Masons regrouped in the 1840s, and began a rise to national prominence resulting in the Age of Fraternalism later in the century, when thousands of Masons marched publicly on the streets of Manhattan at regular intervals, and Masons publicly dedicated the Statue of Liberty and Cleopatra’s Needle. Yet by the end of the century, the seeds had been sown for the rumors that plague Freemasonry to this day: accusations of devil worship and attempts at world domination.
Dr. Mark Koltko-Rivera will go behind the events to explain the forces behind Masonry’s expansion, persecution, and triumph, in 19th century New York. Dr. Koltko-Rivera holds a doctoral degree in psychology from NYU. The author of Freemasonry: An Introduction (Tarcher/Penguin, 2011), he is a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Freemason and a Masonic Knight Templar. He has appeared as an authority about Freemasonry on such television shows as Hunting the Lost Symbol, America’s Book of Secrets, Brad Melzer’s Decoded, and Ancient Aliens.
All proceeds benefit the New York 19th Century Society, a non-profit organization that promotes the study and understanding of life in 19th-century New York City through participatory workshops for the public.
Buy your tickets at http://
Event takes place at The Museum of Interesting Things
Secret Speakeasy
177 Prince Str 3rd flr NYC (between Thompson & Sullivan streets)
All tickets also include free entry to the Secret Speakeasy at 6pm
Tickets $15 in advance & $20 at the door
Dr. Mark Koltko-Rivera will go behind the events to explain the forces behind Masonry’s expansion, persecution, and triumph, in 19th century New York. Dr. Koltko-Rivera holds a doctoral degree in psychology from NYU. The author of Freemasonry: An Introduction (Tarcher/Penguin, 2011), he is a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Freemason and a Masonic Knight Templar. He has appeared as an authority about Freemasonry on such television shows as Hunting the Lost Symbol, America’s Book of Secrets, Brad Melzer’s Decoded, and Ancient Aliens.
All proceeds benefit the New York 19th Century Society, a non-profit organization that promotes the study and understanding of life in 19th-century New York City through participatory workshops for the public.
Buy your tickets at http://
Event takes place at The Museum of Interesting Things
Secret Speakeasy
177 Prince Str 3rd flr NYC (between Thompson & Sullivan streets)
All tickets also include free entry to the Secret Speakeasy at 6pm
Tickets $15 in advance & $20 at the door