Travis Simpkins

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Want to help with the Gardner Museum Theft investigation?

Have a look. Maybe you can identify this person who enters the museum at 00:49:47 or the vehicle make/model. Share widely!

This footage is from March 17, 1990… 24 hours before the heist.

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Surveillance Excerpt

Tips can be emailed to:

theft@gardnermuseum.org

For more information on the heist, visit:

gardnermuseum.org/theft

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Heist: March 18, 1990

Gardner Museum Security Guard, Rick Abath, taped and tied up in basement

Philippe de Montebello, Metropolitan Museum of Art, by Travis Simpkins

Philippe de Montebello, 2015. by Travis Simpkins

Portrait Sketch of

Philippe de Montebello

Director Emeritus

Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York

by Travis Simpkins

Philippe de Montebello: Museums from Mission-Driven to Market-Driven

For more info, please visit:

www.metmuseum.org

Philippe de Montebello. by Travis Simpkins. The Met

"Freemasons for Dummies" by Christopher Hodapp

"Freemasons for Dummies"

by Christopher Hodapp 33º

Wiley Publishing, 2005

Brief Review by Travis Simpkins

More than just an informative reference volume, Freemasons for Dummies by Christopher Hodapp presents the centuries-old fraternity in a bold and engaging new light. A knowledgeable delivery is enhanced by humorous wit and relatable anecdotes from the author's own experience with the Craft.

Although the layout is presented in a manner which allows for skipping and choosing any random chapter with clarity, the book also makes for an intriguing cover-to-cover read. From curious beginners to advanced scholars, there will be something thought provoking in these pages for everyone. The diverse range of covered topics include: Freemasonry 101, the history and philosophy of the Craft, the mechanics of the lodge system, ceremonies and initiation rituals, symbols, the Scottish and York Rite appendant bodies, the Shriners and how Masonry is still relevant to men today. The given explanations are concise and on-point. Hodapp also addresses some of the many misconceptions and conspiracies surrounding the secretive brotherhood of Freemasons.

Helpfully illustrated with pictures and sidebars, the book is easy to follow and makes for a fun yet inquisitive introduction for those looking to learn more about the general aspects of Freemasonry. It is well worth the cover price and makes for an enlightening 335-page sojourn.