Masonic Photography: The Art Of Gregory J. Knott

by The Midnight Freemason

Todd E. Creason

Final resting place of the March King
Sir Knight John Philip Sousa

Over the last several years, I've had an amazing resource for this blog--the photographs of WB Greg Knott.  He's allowed me to borrow from his massive photo archives, and his photos have enhanced the posts on here for years.  It's not easy finding unique art for blog posts.  Greg's photos have been a great resource for original art.

Greg and I have known each other for over twenty years, and since we've both become Masons, we travel in the same circles--same lodges, same Scottish Rite Valley, same York Rite Chapter, Council & Commandery.  And Greg was recently my sponsor in becoming a Shriner.

I think the thing Greg and I are most proud of recently is chartering a new High Twelve Club in Champaign/Urbana (IL)--the Illini High Twelve No. 768, which is the largest newly-chartered High Twelve in the United States in the last decade.  Greg is the Secretary of that organization, and I'm the President.  We just received our charter last month with all due pomp and circumstance.  It's something we've been talking about for a long time finally realized.

Greg is  now a regular contributor on The Midnight Freemasons, and his pieces are very popular with the readers of this blog.  You can find all of Greg's pieces thus far by clicking here.

Just look at the subtle Masonic detail on this stone

And the good news is, he sent a piece to me this week about his visit to the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. (including about a dozen of his remarkable photos).  Be sure and watch for it--it's scheduled for June 18th.

The photos in his upcoming piece are remarkable, and I got looking through all the photos he took at the Congressional Cemetery this evening, and decided I'd share a few more he hadn't included in his article--he took nearly 500 photos that day.

The broken column...

It never ceases to amaze me how many Masonic symbols you'll find in cemeteries.  I first noticed it shortly after I became a Mason and visited Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, GA.  I've taken a lot of photos of these myself (not as good).  Greg also has an interest in history, and visits cemeteries like I do.  Masons sure aren't shy about advertising the fact they were Masons, even after they are gone.  You don't have to look very far to find a Mason in just about any cemetery you decide to visit.  It's there, if you're looking for it.

I visited a local cemetery a few months ago, and found a square and compass on one of the stones--a Master Mason that passed to the Celestial Lodge in 1938.  I knew he had probably been a member of my lodge. So I wrote his name down, and checked the register for my lodge--a book every Mason signs when they become a Master Mason.  The same book Greg and I signed just a few years ago.  And there was his signature--he'd signed that same book about eighty years before we did--in 1925. And that's what I love about history--we're all a part of it.  What we do today will become part of history tomorrow, and what we're doing today is because of all the things that happened yesterday.

So I hope these photos whet your appetite for what's to come in the next few weeks. There are a few more of Greg's photos from the Congressional Cemetery below.

~TEC

His name has faded away, but his
affiliation sure hasn't--Sir Knight!

Another Sir Knight decided to memorialize his affiliation in bronze, now green with verdigris

This was obviously an "Illustrious" member 

Again, much about who he was has faded away over time,
but there's no question about what he was--a Master Mason