Les Bijoux Rose Croix

1760 – 1890
Robert Vanloo (text) and Philippe Klein (photographs)
152 pages. Paperback. 29 Euros is ordered before 22 09 2003 -thereafter 34 Euros.
ISBN: 2-84454-217-4

So why even review a book written in French and intended for the French market? The answer is simple: this is a lovely book and the language difficulty for non-French speakers cannot detract from the wonderful photographs.

The author has used the Jewels of the Rose Croix ceremony, which originated in France some time after the Oration by the Scotsman, Chevalier Andrew Ramsay. This part of Freemasonry, often erroneously described as being of a ‘Higher Degree’, was a very late arrival in Scotland.

Using the Jewels as ‘signposts’ the author tells the story of the Rose Croix and it is very well told.

As an historian the reviewer expected to be much more interested in the text of this book – and so he was, yet due to the quality of the images he is now no longer dismissive of ‘pictures as history’.

This is a beautifully produced book displaying the élan for which the French are famous. If you are a French Freemason this is a book to buy.  If you are French you should purchase this book. If you can read and understand French this book will be of interest. If you collect or simply like looking at photographs of some wonderful Masonic Jewellery, some of which is 240+ years old, then this book is well worth buying.

What more can be said!