Sphinxes Rise: Shrine Miami 1928

This 1928 silent film, Shrine Convention Miami FL May 1928, photographed by Charles W. Herbert, documents the Mahi Shriners’ Imperial Council Session in Miami, Florida, May 9–11. It spotlights “pharaohs and sphinxes in the making”—Shriners crafting elaborate Egyptian-themed props, including papier-mâché sphinxes and faux pharaoh regalia, for parades along Flagler Street. Fez-wearing members assemble these Middle Eastern icons, blending festivity with fraternal flair against Miami’s post-hurricane revival. Preserved in the Orgone Cinema 16mm Archive, it’s a vivid slice of 1920s Shrine spectacle.