The History of Freemasonry by Albert G. Mackey (1996 Grammercy Books edition) is a modern reissue of the monumental seven-volume reference work originally published between 1898-1906, representing one of the most comprehensive 19th-century studies of the fraternity’s evolution.
This single-volume abridgement preserves Mackey’s exhaustive chronicle of Masonic traditions—from their legendary ties to Solomon’s Temple and the medieval stonemasons’ guilds to the establishment of modern Grand Lodges—while condensing the original 4,000+ pages into a more accessible format.
The 1996 edition features a durable leatherette binding with gold-embossed Masonic symbols, quality acid-free paper, and a new introduction contextualizing Mackey’s Victorian-era scholarship within contemporary historiography. Though lacking the exquisite craftsmanship of the original 1898 edition (with its hand-tooled Morocco leather and engraved frontispieces), this version remains valued by Masonic students for its faithful reproduction of Mackey’s core texts, including his analyses of ritual symbolism, the Royal Arch degrees, and the fraternity’s spread across colonial America. A cornerstone for serious Masonic libraries, this edition bridges antiquarian scholarship and modern readability, though collectors of Masonica still prize the original multi-volume set for its archival completeness and period bookcraft.
For Masonic bibliophiles:
- Morals and Dogma (Pike, 1871) – The Scottish Rite classic
- The Freemason’s Monitor (Webb, 1797) – Early American rituals
- Duncan’s Masonic Ritual (1866) – Clandestine exposure
