In the photobook Man among Men, documentary photographer and filmmaker Juliane Herrmann cracks opens the door onto an ancient world that is otherwise hidden from the public: the Freemasons. A closed fraternal organisation that traces its origins back to the late medieval Stonemasons, Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world and boasts an estimated membership of six million people.

We had the honour to design this special and luxurious book in close collaboration with Juliane Herrmann.

Herrmann spent five years documenting Freemasonry around the world, going beyond the secrecy and occultism that usually frames public perception of the group. In her book she instead turns the lens on what continues to draw people to the Freemasons, especially in today’s globalised world: the search for a sense of identity and belonging. In addition to the elaborate interiors of the Lodge buildings, Herrmann portrays members, ritualistic still lives, as well as the everyday backdrops of life in a lodge. Capturing both the enigmatic and the ordinary, she reveals a complex, humorous and sometimes contradictory image of contemporary Freemasonry.

Herrmann work asks for a special edition book – something which makes us as designers extra enthousiastic! The texts in this book are printed in dark blue ink which enhances the warm character of the photographs. On a few pages a sentence is printed with high gloss transparant ink (spot UV) in order to emphasize on the secret character of the Freemasons and the cover is covered with royal blue velvet, finished off with golden foil print.

This book is published on the occasion of the 300-year jubilee of modern Freemasonry. It will officially be presented during Unseen Amsterdam and it is availabe in your bookstore or online via Uitgeverij Lecturis.