Antique '23 Good Templar TEMPERANCE Gold Bullion COLLAR, SATCHEL, SONGBOOK, Hair for Sale

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Antique '23 Good Templar TEMPERANCE Gold Bullion COLLAR, SATCHEL, SONGBOOK, Hair For Sale

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Antique '23 Good Templar TEMPERANCE Gold Bullion COLLAR, SATCHEL, SONGBOOK, Hair:
$295.00

From the July 2023 estate sale of Amos Kimball, historian and antique collector of Newburg, Maine, this is a 100 year old GOOD TEMPLAR bag of relics. Founded in America in 1851, the Good Templars was a compact and highly organized Order, dedicated to "Total abstinence from all intoxicating liquors... (and)...The absolute prohibition of the manufacture, importation, and sale of intoxicating liquors ...expressed in due form of law, with the penalties deserved for a crime of such enormity." The hand written name inside the satchel indicates that this belonged to H. B. Gilkey. An online search found that H. B. Gilkey was listed in "The 1874 New Hampshire Register, Farmer's Almanac and Business Directory" as a harness maker. Apparently, he was also a chief officer in the Good Templars.THE SATCHEL:
Although its latch has a lock, the bag opened easily without a key after flipping down the two latches on the sides. It's constructed of top grain cowhide with a metal frame and it's in very good condition with "age patina" -- wear to the exterior, but no damage.The satchel measures about 13" wide by 8" tall (not including handle) and 8" deep and is divided into two interior compartments separated by a cardboard flap. The two wells and one side of the flap are covered with linen. On one side there is some insect damage to the linen and the flap has worn edges.
Decorating one side of the flap is a small print that is commonly found in the ephemera of the the International Order of Good Templars (IOGT).In the first compartment I found a song book and a beautiful IOTC collar.THE COLLAR:
The RARE, authentic antique, Good Templar Gold Bullion Collar bears its original label for The M.C. LILLEY & Co. which supplied fraternal organization regalia under this version of the company name from 1882 to 1925.It's a spectacular piece, hand sewn using superior quality materials. Members of the Good Templar were required to wear regalia when in the lodge, and this elaborate collar of purple velvet, gold bullion trim and a center rosette with two gold bullion tassels would have been worn by an officer of the lodge. I think the blue velvet medallion with the gold embroidered initials "CD" signifies the officer "Chief Deacon."The 3" bullion fringe was created by wrapping linen thread with 9 karat gold wire. The gold wire is twisted to create the maximum shine. The two tassels also have gold wrapped threads, and the STAR appliques all have gold wrapped threads as well as sequins.The trims along the edges are also created with gold wrapped or plated thread, but I could find no history of this type of trim other than in a 1909 newspaper advertisement for an IOGT International or Grand Lodge Degree Officer's "Guinea Regalia" collar with "3/4" gold lace."THE BOOK:
The book that's included with the collar is a rare 1881 First Edition of the Temperance song book "The Good Templar" by H.S. Perkins, , published by White, Smith & Co., Boston. It measures about 6" x 8" and has 143 soft paper pages that are readable and still adhered to their binding cloth. There are 129 songs, hymns and chants for "Open and Lodge Work for Temperance Secular Meetings, Temperance Gospel Meetings, and Social Circle."The book is missing its cover, but is otherwise complete, and there are a few small tears and dog-earred pages. General light soil and aging to the paper.THE MYSTERY:
Inside the second compartment, wrapped in 4 pages of the Tuesday, June 5, 1923 Bangor Daily Commercial newspaper, I discovered a very thick hank of fine, ash blonde hair that's about 26" long. I doubt that this relates to the GOOD TEMPLARS, so I wonder if it's a personal memento.The old newspaper ads and copy are fascinating, and I've show some snippets. Read what was news in 1923 -- pre-Great Depression and pre-WWII.