The Grand Historian, VWB Trevor McKeown, has requested the assistance of anyone interested in Masonic history in identifying an unidentified Mason, a Past District Deputy Grand Master, who appears in the photo below.
Some additional information for interested historians:
- The regalia is that of a District Deputy Grand Master but no particular Lodge or District is identified on the regalia;
- The photo shows the imprint of photographer Kenneth G. McKenzie (1884-1975)
Here is some information on Kenneth G. McKenzie:
“Kenneth McKenzie was born Nov. 21, 1884 in Bristol, England. He arrived in Vancouver in or before 1921, at which time he was working as a photographer at Geo. T. Wadds. In 1922 he was working under his own name and continued to do so until he formed a partnership with Reuben Marlow in 1932. The partnership operated under the names Art-O-Rama Studio, then McKenzie & Marlow. By 1935, it appears that McKenzie may have left the city, returning some time in the 1940s.
In the mid-1950s, McKenzie operated his own studio located at 1900 Commercial Drive.”
(Source: Vancouver Archives)
Based on the style of this deceased Brother’s clothing, I am speculating that this photo could have been taken between 1922-1932 or between the mid 1950’s and early 1960’s, during the two separate periods in which Kenneth G. McKenzie operated his own photographic studio in Vancouver.
Here are links to more information about photographer Kenneth G. McKenzie (1884-1975):
Researchers should forward their findings to the Grand Historian, VWB Trevor McKeown, at the Grand Lodge of B.C. & Yukon office.
UPDATE: The unidentified Brother has been identified as RWB George Arthur Woodland. We received this from the Grand Historian:
I don’t know why he’s wearing the Deputy Grand Master’s collar jewel but I suspect that at the time all Grand Lodge regalia were kept in the Grand Secretary’s office and when Woodland came to Vancouver for his portrait by Kenneth McKenzie, he borrowed the first collar that came to hand. I can find no evidence of him serving in any other role than DDGM.
The gavel in his hand is also interesting. It appears to be either a gavel presented to Grand Lodge in 1927 by Charles Blaney of Pacific Lodge 16—made from stone taken from King Solomon’s Quarry, Jerusalem–or else a duplicate. There is no symbolic reason for a DDGM to be holding a gavel and, again, I suspect it was lent to him by the Grand Secretary for the photograph, especially since Tyee Lodge has no similar gavel.
WB Mark Anderson
Historian, Temple Lodge No. 33
Would you like to leave a question or comment about anything on this post?
I think I’ve seen that gavel before in lodge made out of ivory? But I could be mistaken. I think it’s on display in the temple at fisgaurd
Thanks Sean. We’ll check that out.