Ribbon Badges Worthy of the Occasion

by Hilary Anderson Stelling, Director of Exhibitions and Collections, Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

Cover Photo: Patriarchs Militant Member, ca. 1890. Museum Purchase, 2016.003

In 1910, Whitehead and Hoag of Newark, New Jersey, one of the country’s largest manufacturers of novelty advertising items, proclaimed that “there is practically no event for which we cannot make an appropriate badge.” The firm, founded in 1892, created ribbons and badges for promoting products and for political campaigns, labor unions, and fairs. As seen in an illustration from an 1894 catalog, the company produced a wonderful variety of ornate ribbon badges. The ribbons made by Whitehead and Hoag and other concerns were worn by thousands of Masons and members of fraternal groups at parades, meetings, and other gatherings.

Marchers wearing ribbons on clothing and hats at processions to identify them as members of a group is long-standing tradition. Often printed on silk and pinned to garments, ribbons worn at processions were intended to be used just once or only a handful of times. Few ribbons from the early 1800s survive to the present day. The oldest ribbon in the collection of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library is engraved with an image of George Washington and commemorated the 1832 centennial of his birth. The owner likely wore this simple ribbon pinned to his coat at a gathering observing this anniversary. A portrait of Zachary Taylor, the twelfth President of the United States, was printed on a ribbon for a different reason. The black outline surrounding the portrait, along with the 1850 date, suggest that this ribbon was intended to be displayed at an event commemorating Taylor’s sudden death. Incorporating a square and compasses, the design on this ribbon reflects the mistaken belief, held by many in Taylor’s lifetime, that the former hero of the Mexican War was a Freemason.

Over time, event organizers have used ribbon badges of different colors and designs to distinguish members of a group and to sometimes signify a wearer’s role—such as a guest at or organizer of a meeting. Ribbon badges also served as souvenirs of special occasions. The member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows portrayed in this photograph, dressed in Patriarchs Militant regalia, wears a ribbon that declares his status as a representative of the I.O.O.F. Grand Lodge of Iowa, letting others know his role even if they did not know him personally. The light-colored ribbons attached to the coats of men gathered for an 1886 meeting of the General Masonic Relief Association of the United States and Canada held in St. Louis helped identify them as members of the group. A boldly striped ribbon topped by a button showed the wearer was an attendee at a 1920 Shrine ceremonial event and parade organized by Ziyara Temple of Syracuse, New York. Created for a one-time occasion, this badge was also a souvenir of what was doubtless a memorable parade of 3,500 Shriners.

95th Grand Session, Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Missouri Ribbon Badge, 1961. Museum Purchase, 2021.005.1

In the late 1800s, ribbons printed specifically for particular gatherings enjoyed huge popularity. The many Knights Templar Commanderies which organized pilgrimages and excursions to different locations often commissioned ribbons for these events. In 1901, members of the Honolulu Commandery on Oahu brought bright yellow ribbons decorated with a picture of a statue of King Kamehameha I, the first ruler of Hawaii, to exchange with the other Knights Templar they met in Louisville, Kentucky. Attendees to these large meetings could collect dozens of ribbons. Seeking an enduring way to display these souvenirs, a quilter used printed ribbons on several blocks of this pieced and embroidered quilt. This quilt features ribbons that were amassed at the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar held in New Orleans in 1874 that came from Commanderies in many states. Completed several years after 1874, this quilt is a lasting record of one member’s participation in Knights Templar activities.

Quilt, 1888-1900. Gift of William C. Roseboom, 82.6.

Photograph by David Bohl

The fad for exchanging printed ribbons waned over the first decades of the 1900s, but Masonic organizations continued to use ribbon badges—called convention badges by manufacturers— at meetings and special events. In 1900, guests to a Ladies’ Night at St. John’s Lodge in Boston wore white ribbon badges that functioned as tickets to the reception and as handsome souvenirs of the evening. Decades later, in 1961, Amos Carter of Marshall, Missouri, wore a ribbon badge that served as both his name tag and a souvenir of the 95th Grand Session of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Missouri that was preserved decades after the gathering. Badge manufacturers Whitehead and Hoag, advertising their products in the 1930s, noted of these products that “the badge is often the only tangible souvenir that remains...a pleasant reminder of all the…good times experienced.” Based on the many examples in the collection of the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, it seems that many attendees to special Masonic events did, indeed, cherish their ribbon badges as souvenirs. In making their case for ribbons, Whitehead and Hoag also recommended that organizing committees not let “a few cents to stand in the way of obtaining a suitable badge.” They encouraged organizers to “give special attention to the selection of a badge” to be sure to make a selection that was “worthy of the occasion.”

Washington Centennial Ribbon, 1832. Gift of Dr. William L. and Mary B. Guyton Collection, 91.046.13

Members of the General Masonic Relief Association of the United States and Canada, 1886. John Moore, St. Louis, Missouri. Gift of J.F. Smith, 80.48

St. John's Lodge Ladies' Night Ribbon Badge, 1900. Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, GL2004.4700.

Photograph by David Bohl

Back Cover The Whitehead & Hoag Co. Manufacturers of Metal Celluloid and Ribbon Badges, 1894. Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, A2002/5/1

Taylor Mourning Ribbon, 1850. Museum Purchase, 98.008

Ziyara Temple Visitor Ribbon Badge, 1920. Bastian Brothers Co., Rochester, New York. Gift of Captain and Mrs. Sidney Helliwell, SC78.25.3c

Honolulu Commandery No. 1 Ribbon, 1901. Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, GL2004.6062

For more information about the exhibition and the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library, visit srmml.org.

Interested in seeing more ribbon badges? The Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library has hundreds in its collection. To explore more, visit our online collections at https:// www.srmml.org/ collections/