Museum Shop

This New Book by our own historian provides the full story behind the First Masonic Hall in Bath, built in 1817:

In 1816, an apothecary and a wine merchant decided to erect a prestigious Masonic Hall in the fashionable Spa City of Bath, enlisting the financial and political assistance of Dukes and Earls plus the services of a leading architect. But they could not have imagined that within five years of a Royal dedication ceremony described as one of the grandest spectacles to be seen in the City, the building would stand empty, its contents confiscated, and the owners facing bankruptcy.

This book provides the story of Bath’s first Masonic Hall. Known locally as “The Bath Furniture Incident”, this debacle also resulted in the local Fraternity losing some of the finest Regency Masonic furniture and equipment ever assembled under one roof. History shows all of this as being the responsibility of one man, Charles Geary, but the discovery of documents hidden in archives for nearly 200 years have thrown a completely different light on his involvement, as well as revealing a much larger cast of characters who were responsible for the fallout from the project.

This is a factual history from the early 19th Century, written by our own historian, who had unprecedented access to local and national contemporary documentation, including minutes and correspondence. This 360-page paperback book is well-illustrated in colour, and includes up-to-date photographs of some of the furniture and equipment, including the rediscovery of some artefacts previously thought to have been lost forever.

Price £14.95 BUY NOW

 

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We offer a range of souvenirs in our Museum Shop, including a Guidebook providing a more complete history of the building:

 

This 96 page softback book was written by The Old Theatre Royal’s own historian. It describes the history of the building stretching back 265 years to when it was built in 1750.

 

It also provides background histories of the three organisations that have owned it, within the context of the City of Bath, plus a section on the lives of some of the main people involved.

 

Lavishly illustrated with over 120 images, mostly in colour, this is a unique history of a unique building that is one of Bath’s hidden gems.

Price £9.95 BUY NOW

We also list collectable Masonic items donated by members to assist in the funding of the Museum.  All proceeds from this shop are used to support the Masonic Museum & Library at The Old Theatre Royal.

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