Fraternal Organisations

Herbert Henry Vorley (1840-1880) worked as a photographer on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand from about 1867 until 1877. Various sources show him working in the townships of Charleston (1867 & 1873), Hokitika (1870) and Buller (1874 & 1877). Photographers often had second strings to their bow, usually to help make ends meets, and sometimes reflecting a profession which they had been involved in prior to taking up the portrait business. However, Vorley had a most unusual sideline - he was a phrenologist!


This carte de visite is a cameo head-and-shoulders portrait with an unusual frame, of a middle-aged man with a moustache and beard, wearing a jacket, bow-tie and a wide sash diagonally across his chest. It was taken in Charleston, possibly in the late 1860s or early 1870s, but the subject is unfortunately not identified.


An enlargement of the sash with some digital enhancement does not make the design on it much clearer, but it appears to be an eight-pointed star. I suspect that he was a Freemason. The PhoenixMasonry web site has a display of a series of old cabinet cards of Knight Templars in full regalia. Several of these have very similar sashes to that worn by the man in the Vorley portrait.


The reverse of the card mount has a design typical of the late 1860s, comprising a coat of arms, angular scroll work, and what appears to be a design of a heart in a hand (see below). The heart-in-hand design originated with the Shakers, implying a loving welcome, but was also used by the Order of Odd Fellows. A similar symbol has been used by the Freemasons to represent charity. Displayed in this manner on the reverse of the card mount, it may have been a device used to signify that Vorley himself was a Freemason, and would therefore happily accept fellow members amongst his customers.



References

Auckland City Libraries Photographers Database