Groups and Organizations

"Independent Order of Cadets of Temperance. We educate to love truth & temperance. This is to certify that ________ is a member in regular standing in ________ sect., no. ____, I.O. of C.T. ________ G. ________, 18____. Elliott, printer, cor. 4th & New, below Vine." For a similar membership card, see Theodore K. Young, Independent Order of Cadets of Temperance, 1858 .

"Independent Order of Cadets of Temperance. We educate to love truth & temperance. This is to certify that Theodore K. Young is a member in regular standing in Crystal Fount Sect. No. 15, I.O. of C.T. Geo. King, G. Sep. 15th 1858." For a similar membership card, see Independent Order of Cadets of Temperance .

"Fifteenth Annual Ball of the Reliance Fire Co., January 1st, 1879, Lady's Invitation."

A 1924 membership card for the Curwensville, Pa., Kennel (chapter) of the Ancient, Honorable, Transcendental, and Effervescent Order of Yellow Dogs. "Ride Si Sapis Sine Cura Esto Perpetuum Hic Et Ubique" (Google translates this from the Latin as: "The ride here forever and everywhere, if you are wise, be wholly free from care.") See also Angelica Paez's Order of Yellow Dogs membership card and my own The Yellow Dogs Will Gnaw at the Ancient Relic, 1923 ticket.

"50c Banquet 50c. The Yellow Dogs will gnaw at the ancient relic in peace and harmony at the Coleman House, Thursday, March 8th, 1923, after the regular meeting." See also Angelica Paez's Order of Yellow Dogs membership card and my own Ancient, Honorable, Transcendental, and Effervescent Order of Yellow Dogs, 1924 membership card.

"Come to the Barn Dance at Oratamin Farm, Tuesday evening, July 3rd, 1917, at 8 o'clock. Given by Blauvelt Equal Suffrage League. Admission, 25 cents."

"Lincoln-Lee Legion. Love, sacrifice, service. Abstinence Department of the the Anti-Saloon League. I hereby enroll with the Lincoln-Lee Legion and promise with God's help to keep the following pledge." "Whereas the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage is productive of pauperism. degradation, and crime, and believing it is our duty to discourage that which produces more evil than good, we therefore pledge ourselves to abstain from the use of intoxicating liquors as a beverage." "A sober nation and a safe highway."

Posted to the Vintage Photos Theme Park group as a "strange clothing" photo. This real photo postcard shows a group of men who belonged to "Katunka Tribe No. 453," which was the York, Pa., chapter of the Improved Order of Red Men , or IORM for short. The York chapter no longer exists but the national group is still around (despite the fact that "Red Men" is now considered an offensive term for Native Americans) and calls itself " America's Oldest Fraternal Organization " on its Web site. When you realize that none of the men in this photo were Native Americans, it seems awfully strange--at least from our modern perspective nearly a century later--that they dressed in Native American garb (however inauthentic their interpretation of the clothing may have been) for their group ceremonies and rituals. In case you're interested in additional information, Blake Stough discussed the history and controversial aspects of the York IORM group in his article Politically Incorrect or Not--Still A Part of York County History on the Preserving York blog (the article included this photo with my permission).

A front porch photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. A group of 36 men and women assembled on and in front of the porch of a fraternity house. I found this photo at an antique mall in Pennsylvania, and judging by the "AKD" banner, the "State" pillow, and the "S[tate] 1910" pillow, this is probably the same men's social fraternity that William Raimond Baird described in Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities , 7th ed. (New York: College Fraternity Publishing, 1912), p. 572: "Alpha Kappa Delta--Organized May 4, 1909, at Pennsylvania State College [now Pennsylvania State University]. The membership is about 50. The badge is an oblong shield displaying the letters forming the society's name in the center in vertical order. The colors are orange and blue. It rents a house." Perhaps that's the house that the fraternity was renting. The AKD banner on the porch, interestingly enough, includes a skull and crossbones in its upper left-hand corner. And who are the young and middle-aged women in the photo? Girlfriends and chaperones? Students and profs? Today, Alpha Kappa Delta is the name of a sociology honor society founded in 1920. It would be interesting to know, however, what happened to this fraternity in the decade after this photo was taken.

"Compliments of M.M.B. Association of Lancaster, Pa. For unmarried persons." I haven't been able to find any record of the Mutual Marriage Benefit Association of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but it was probably based on other dubious benefit associations of the late nineteenth century that promised dividends to single men and women when they got married. An announcement in The Spectator: An American Weekly Review of Insurance , July 20, 1893, p. 29, explained how one association was supposed to work: "The Illinois Mutual Marriage Benefit Association is a new incorporation. The purpose of the association, as set forth in the application for a charter, is to 'enable young unmarried persons to enter upon married life with sufficient means to promote happiness and prosperity, and to enable the great mass of young men and young women who are in moderate circumstances to bring about the consummation that is mutually beneficial to themselves, and to establish a dower fund, out of which shall be paid on the marriage of a member in good standing, a sum not exceeding $2000, all funds to be raised by the voluntary contribution of the members.' It is proposed to charge an initiation fee of twelve dollars, and make assessment of one dollar per member every time a marriage occurs."

The Cosmopolitan Club was the precursor to the International Students Organization at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. The Springfield College Digital Collections contains additional Cosmopolitan Club photos from various years.

A Vintage Photos Theme Park photo for the theme of the secret lives of grown-ups (adults letting loose and having fun or possibly behaving badly with other adults; all in good taste, of course) . Printed on the back of this real photo postcard: "Novelty Studio, 1118 First Ave., Seattle." These three couples are ready for a party. The woman on the left, who's a little out of focus for some reason, is holding a ratchet noisemaker . The man in the back on the left is holding a BPO[E] ( Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ) flag that's draped over the shoulder of the woman in the middle. The woman on the right is holding a mask (mouse over the image for a better look at the noisemaker, flag, and mask ). The man on the right has some sort of flag tucked under his right arm, and all of them except that man are wearing party or regular hats. Were they attending a New Year's party at an Elks Lodge?

The woman on the left is holding a ratchet noisemaker . A BPO[E] ( Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks ) flag is draped over the shoulder of the woman in the middle. The woman on the right is holding a mask. Take a look at the full version of this real photo postcard to see the entire group of partygoers.

A membership card for the Order of Railroad Telegraphers (ORT). As Wikipedia explains, "telegraphers would be stationed in individual depots along the railroad line in order to receive train orders from a centrally located dispatcher and report back on train movements; telegraphed train orders would be written out on paper and 'handed up' to the crews of passing trains." See also a 1915 version of the ORT membership card. The Order of Railroad Telegraphers Issued to L. W. Ricker. Good until June 30th 1900 unless revoked. W. V. Powell, president. H. B. Perham, secretary and treasurer. The Order of Railroad Telegraphers, Grand Division.