The Order of the Sons of Herman (also Sons of Hermann or Hermann's Söhne) is a fraternal organization begun by German immigrants in New York City during the 1840s. The order promotes the love of German language and preservation of German traditions and customs, and was named for historical hero Hermann the “Cherusker,” who united the German tribes against Roman invaders. Washington State’s first Order of the Sons of Herman lodge was organized in Tacoma in 1889; Seattle's lodge was founded in 1890, and within five years lodges had been formed in Bellingham, Everett, Spokane, Uniontown, Walla Walla, and Chehalis.
This portrait shows the members of the German Sons of Herman, Seattle lodge. Most of the men are unidentified, but among them is Henry Schutte or Schűtte (1852-1904), who immigrated to the U.S. in 1870 and worked as a cook at Seattle's Rathskeller restaurant. By the 1990s most of the Washington State lodges had ceased to exist, however, as of 2019, the Tacoma lodge remains active.
Handwritten on verso: Sons of Herman, 1902-1905? Last row, far right, Henry Schutte, d. 1905
Caption information source: "Hermann's Lodge Tacoma", German Heritage Society, http://germanheritagesociety.org/Hermann.html Caption information source: "Drops Dead on Street," The Seattle Daily Times, July 4, 1905, p.13; and "Deaths and Funerals," The Seattle Daily Times, July 5, 1905, p.4.
ID Number: 1990.70.1
Date: Circa 1904
Physical Description: 1 photographic print mounted on cardboard : sepia ; 13.25 x 10.25 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
