Early 2025 I was compiling a Word file with images that I took from old Masonic documents that are available online. I often see these images, but seldom is it easy to find the source. The file became a book that I published through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and only later this website.
I wanted a large book, about A4, so that you see multiple images on a single page. The book was to be nothing more than a catalogue, so: images and their sources, no further information. I did from the start want to have an index with the names of the degrees, so that you can also look the other way around. Neither the book nor this website are intended to offer high resolution images, but to refer people to the sources.
The title of the book (and the cover design) is a notch to publications such as The Hermetic Museum of Arthur Waite. I was quite surprised that nobody had thought of this title yet.
I made a paperback and a hardcover. It turned out that the printing costs of the hardcover are twice those of the paperback. When I got my first copies I noticed why: the hardcover has much better printing quality.
The first version of the book was published in January 2025 and had a modest 72 pages.
The second version of the book followed already later that month, initially I named it 1.1, but the update was so serious, that I later dubbed this version 2.0. New images had been added and the number of pages went up to 120.
This version needed some corrections, so early February version 2.1 was published.
I keep running into documents that I missed earlier, so late March it was again time for an update. Version 3.0 added another 20 pages. When you realise that I have 4 images per page, you may have an idea of how rapidly the number of images grows.
Another mayor update followed in September 2025. I not only added another pile of images, but on this website I also started to make a database of degrees, not of the images, but of the texts. The idea is that when you see an image of -let’s say- “Chevalier du Soleil”, you can also find out where you can read the actual degree. I added a rude version of the database as a simple table to the book. The number of pages grew so much (now counting almost 200 pages) that I had to severely increase the price.
I’m still on the hunt for a few archives. Should they prove to be public domain, first this website, and later the book will keep growing. Another reason for growth is not so much new archives, but because archives such as those of the Bibliothèque Nationale de France are inexhaustible. I keep finding manuscripts that I missed before. I also sometimes find new libraries with online manuscripts.
The book is about as cheap as I can offer it to you. About half the price are printing costs, about a quarter is for Amazon, then there are taxes and a little under a dollar/euro or 2 is for me. Making books available is not going to make me rich, but this is not my intention. I hope my publications are helpful to both the buyers and (in this case) the archives that make all this material available.
Order the book from your local Amazon. It is printed on demand. When you get your local Amazon, the printing will take place as close to you as possible.