The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal organization that developed in England and took root in America in 1819 with the establishment of a lodge in Baltimore. By the late nineteenth century the Odd Fellows had the largest membershipof all American fraternal organizations. The stated goals were to elevate each member to a higher level and to extend sympathy and aid to those in need.

Symbols are basic to their ceremonial teachings: the all-seeing eye, of the eye of God; a chain of three links that stands for their basic credo, Friendship, Love, and Truth (repeated with the acronym FLT); clapsed hands signifying friendship and fellowship; a bundle of sticks, an early symbol of "strength in union"; the Scales of Justice; the heart in hand with its open palm, suggesting charity; a bible on a lectern; and the letters I.O.O.F., the organization's insignia. The blue background appropriately represents the noble, heavenly goals of the Odd Fellows.

Lee Kogan, "Independent Order of Odd Fellows Sign," FOILED: Tinsel Painting in America (New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2013), 82