Page 146 - An account of the Lodge of Nine Muses No. 235. 1777 to 2012UGLE

146 An Account of the

It will be noticed that the name of the Lodge is given as “Lodge of Nine
Muses” tout court.
In 1862 Bro. Clabon succeeded Bro. Crew as Secretary and evidently made an
attempt to complete the list of signatures, for under 1863 appear about a dozen
signatures of Brothers who had become members between 1840 and that date
but had not signed on admission.
The two Account-Books, the first dating from 1835, have been referred to in
earlier chapters.
The Attendance-Book begins in 1900, and the Initiate’s Declaration Book in
1855 with the signature of Alessandro Pezze (12 December).
The Lodge also has two copies of Bro. Webb’s “Historical Sketch”, and one of
“The List of Members of the Prince of Wales’ Lodge”, printed in 1876; also a set
of the printed proceedings of the Grand Lodge, from 1770 to 1876, and the Book
of the Masonic Roll of Honour for the War, 1914-18. 54
The Lodge has a small collection of paintings, engravings and photographs,
presented at various times. The most noteworthy of these is the portrait of
Cipriani, which stands on an easel near the east end of the Lodge at all meetings. 55
The following account of the painting and its presentation is taken from the
minutes for 12 February 1878:
The W.M. [Bro. WaIter Webb] then presented to the Lodge a copy of the
portrait of the celebrated painter the late Bro. J. B. Cipriani, one of the first
Members of the Nine Muses Lodge. The handsome gift, which consisted of the
portrait in a Florentine frame, enclosed in a case with lock and key with a stand
for the whole to be placed on, was received with acclamation & acknowledged.
in appropriate terms on behalf of the Brethren by the Senior P.M. Bro. Bigg. See
(4 above)??????
The letter read by the W.M. on the occasion was ordered to be entered on the
Minutes, & the following is a correct copy of it:
86 St James’ Street, S.W. 12th February 1878. Brethren, When, in company
with your senior Warden I last autumn visited the celebrated Portrait Gallery
of Painters in the Uffizi at Florence there was one picture which attracted my
especial attention, it was the portrait – painted I believe by himself – of one of

54 These items are not to be found.
55 This is currently displayed on the wall of the Brazil Room at MMH.