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Just prior to The Watchtower’s 50th year anniversary the organization experienced its most dramatic decline in associates. Between Spring of 1927 and Spring of 1928 the Watchtower organization suffered more than an 80% decline.[1]
Yes. You read that correctly. More than an 80% decline.
What to do, what to do?
Then Watchtower president, Joseph Rutherford planned and carried out a re-working and re-presentation of the whole organization.
He started at the organization’s 1928 Summer convention, and by 1931 this rebranding culminated with Rutherford proclaiming a “new name” for the religious affiliation. Henceforth those associated with the Watchtower organization were termed “Jehovah’s witnesses”.[2]
Yes. You read that correctly. More than an 80% decline.
What to do, what to do?
Then Watchtower president, Joseph Rutherford planned and carried out a re-working and re-presentation of the whole organization.
He started at the organization’s 1928 Summer convention, and by 1931 this rebranding culminated with Rutherford proclaiming a “new name” for the religious affiliation. Henceforth those associated with the Watchtower organization were termed “Jehovah’s witnesses”.[2]
During this era part of the organization’s annual conventions included publication of a tract-like journal titled The Messenger. The one published Summer of 1928 contained what is perhaps the weirdest photograph ever published by Watchtower. I’m not sure how to best characterize this image, but here it is[3]:
(click image to enlarge)
My observation
During this tumultuous period of decline Rutherford used The Messenger to reinforce notions of organization. To that end it contained much presentation about then internal operations[4-7], and it contained lots and lots of photographs from inside headquarters. The image above is one of those images.
The last thing a president wants potential converts staring at during a period of decline is an empty headquarters. It sends the wrong message. Consistent with this, the image above contains not a single empty chair, and quite a few standing in the background.
The weirdness
So what is so weird about this? Two chairs from the Watchtower organization’s Secretary Treasurer William Van Amburgh’s right side, and sitting next to Van Amburgh's wife Luie, is a painted illustration of a man that looks like a blow-up man doll.
(click image to enlarge)
- Is this an attempt to Photoshop a person into an otherwise empty chair?
- Is this an attempt to Photoshop over a person who’d recently fallen from President Rutherford's favor?
Either way, this bizzare photo alteration suggests how hard Rutherford was struggling with every possible detail to stop the bleeding of Watchtower associates during the period. It stands as perhaps the weirdest image ever published by Watchtower.[8]
Marvin Shilmer
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References:
1. The most important single annual event under Watchtower doctrine is the celebration of the Lord’s Evening Meal, also known as “the Memorial”. This event occurs in the Spring of each year. In 1927 the total attendance at this Watchtower sponsored event was 88,544. (The Watchtower, October 1, 1927, p. 302) In 1928 the total attendance at this Watchtower sponsored event was 17,380. (Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, published by Watchtower, 1959, pp. 312-313) This represents a greater than 80% reduction in persons associating themselves with the Watchtower organization.
2. The Watchtower, September 15, 1931, pp. 278-280.
3. The Messenger, published by Watchtower, July 31, 1928, pp. 4-5.
8. This altered photograph was not discovered by me. It was recently sent to me by a reader accompanied by an inquiry of whether I know what is the back-story. I don’t know the whole story behind this image, but the picture is just plain weird and its publication tells a story all by itself.
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