Most of the photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs, 20 to 200 megabytes in size) from the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) Many were digitized by LOC contractors using a Sinar studio back. They are adjusted by your webmaster for contrast and color in Photoshop before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here.

This image is of the New York City Mecca Shriners Divan and was taken at the Potentate's Ball sometime in the 1970's. Mecca Shrine is the first Shriners group ever. Formed by Freemasons in 1872, it is still very much in existence. View full size.
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