New design and website
Shop at Freemasons’ Hall has had a transformative journey in the last few years. But what is the story behind the shop?
The shop started its life in the early 2000s as “Letchworth”, a small cubby hole in the loading bay that built a reputation for itself as the go-to place for all items masonic. The shop then moved to a position behind reception a few years later.
By 2015 a new website was launched to provide customers with the ease of ordering items from the comfort of their own homes. Letchworth’s range of items soon expanded from only selling regalia to also selling things like gifts and greeting cards. The majority of these items emphasised the classic square and compass symbol.
As the years went by, the now well-known Letchworth shop didn't want to become stagnant. An innovative idea was created to make the shop accessible to our visitors as well as Freemasons. This idea fed into the United Grand Lodge of England’s (UGLE) challenge to change the perception of Freemasonry from a hidden mystery to a place of education, celebrating the museum and library for those that wanted to learn more about freemasonry.
Discussions soon took place about the shop relocating, and fortunately, an ideal spot became available. The drawing room was the perfect location, with its grand paintings and big bright windows, for the backdrop for the shop during 2020’s pandemic. The former-drawing room leads directly into the museum, making “exit through the gift shop” quite literal in this case.
The design of the new shop was created by Lumsden, a specialist design studio which respected the heritage of Freemasonry while designing a new and improved visitor experience that combined Savile Row tailoring with an enriched museum gift shop look and feel.
Lumsden’s specialism in working with historic and protected buildings is one of the key reasons they were chosen for this project. Lumsden ensured the new shop was sympathetically designed to complement the Grade II* listed interiors.
With an even larger space, the new shop was filled with even more products which provided an opportunity to offer a wonderful shopping experience to not just Freemasons but also to visitors. An extensive selection of new products filled the shelves, including: books, a range of Freemason regalia, men's grooming ranges, ladies’ jewellery, scarves and ties.
Alongside the move, the name “Letchworth” was ditched and the shop adopted the new title of “Shop at Freemasons’ Hall”. The shop was launched in December 2020 at UGLE headquarters in Covent Garden and now receives around 40,000 visitors a year.
Shop at Freemasons’ Hall store manager Ansuya Padhiar explained to UGLE the benefits of the new shop.
Ansuya said: 'I am delighted with the move! The remodelling and branding has elevated our overall look and feel, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.'
Product range: four new collections
The new shop developed stories on ranges that literally told a tale through their design, these were conceived exclusively for Shop at Freemasons’ Hall. New products in the shop included the development of four main collections, including The Picart, The Art Deco, The Façade, and the Museum of Freemasonry.
Picart range
The Picart range was inspired by the image based on Bernard Picart's Cérémonies et coutumes religieuses de tous les peoples du monde (c.1735) displayed in the museum leading into the library, illustrating the Masonic Lodges.
Art Deco collection
Designs for the Art Deco collection were based on interior wall art within the Freemasons' Hall, highlighting the beautiful and intricate style of the 1920s.
Museum of Freemasonry collection
The collection based on the Museum of Freemasonry's logo reflects the importance of geometry to Freemasons. This logo is actually a combination of the M, O and F from the museum’s title to form an elegant monogram.
Façade range
Shop at Freemasons’ Hall’s Façade range, is a linear soft wash drawing rejoicing the magnificent architecture of Freemasons’ Hall.
With a sparkling new shop and enticing new items, the only thing left to do was line up with the modern world and share the shop online. The new and improved website was launched in 2021 and offers all the new ranges to allow a much greater engagement worldwide.
All of the hard work paid off when Shop at Freemasons’ Hall was the recipient of the Best Shop award from the Association of Cultural Enterprises. The award was given at a virtual ceremony in 2021.
Ansuya was over the moon after receiving the award, saying: 'As for a visitors attraction store, we are the most unique and innovative. We as a team are very proud to have an award behind us.'
Come and see the new shop the next time you pass by the building or visit the shop website to see the whole range of items available.
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