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Teaching Mysteries

The center of many early American communities was the lodge where Masons shared evenings, lives, and knowledge. Above all, they learned the mysteries of this world and the next aided by allegorical symbols on teaching aids called tracing boards. In our December 2018 issue, Christian Goodwillie shares some of the mysteries and offers a look at several of the masterpieces of this unusual art he has discovered in upstate New York.

See issue contents.

Christmas Is Here!

We publish our special Christmas issue in September so that you can make holiday plans and have time to order custom-made products that will be ready as gifts on the big day. Copies are already on their way to subscribers (and most should have them by now) and it should be on the newsstand through the holiday—although that's often up to the whims of the newsstand manager—ask for a copy if you don’t see it. What's inside? Read further to find out. [MORE]

A Brownsburg Cabin Christmas

Now available, our new holiday book A Brownsburg Cabin Christmas: Traditions and Friendship in a Small Virginia Town with text and photographs by Early American Life contributing editor Winfield Ross.

In the small village of Brownsburg, Virginia, five families celebrate the season by gathering with neighbors to strengthen friendships and traditions and by decorating their historic cabins. Some of these sturdy structures have passed from generation to generation. [MORE]

Winterthur Ornaments

In our Christmas issue, we promised you bigger views of some of the animal ornaments on the decorated Christmas Tree displayed at Winterthur Museum, Library, and Gardens, which we pictured on page 1. Winterthur was kind enough to share nine close-up views of the various little holiday creatures, created with natural materials, so that you can use them as inspiration for your own tree hangings. [MORE]