Of the PR variety, that is. After literally centuries of mystery and subterfuge, the Freemasons have done the unthinkable: They've hired a publicist. According to the Times, a flack from Dan Klores Communications has been calling around trying to advertise Masonic locations in New York, in conjunction with the movie National Treasure: Book of Secrets. (Seriously.)

“We’ve gotten a lot of bad press over the years,” explained Thomas Savini, the librarian at the Grand Lodge of New York. “We reached a point we saw ourselves being represented as conspirators or useless old men, neither of which is an accurate representation of Freemasonry. For a couple of centuries, we sat back and stayed quiet and let our actions speak for themselves. But we decided to open up our mouths a little bit more and draw some attention to the positive role that Masons play in the public world.”

The Times has a good rundown of Masonic history on their Website, but for us the most titillating read was the virtual tour of the Grand Lodge on West 23rd Street that's available on the Freemason Website. It's a gorgeous building, with meticulously maintained interiors and opulent finishing. It's like a gentleman's club meets Versailles. Except, you know, with giant candled altars in every room.

The Freemasons Enter the Spin Zone [City Room/NYT]