For centuries of British royals, armor embodied cutting-edge science, art, fashion, diplomacy, and danger, sometimes all at once. Royal arms and armor not only reflect the technology of protection but also reveal the visual iconography of complex personal and political relationships.
Join Simon Metcalf, formerly the King’s Armourer at the Royal Collection in Britain, to learn about the craft and conservation of centuries-old arms and armor and discover how a few rare pieces made their way into the Art Institute’s collection.
Support for this program is made possible by the Mickie Silverstein Endowed Fund.
About the Speaker
For the past 22 years he was the Queen’s and then the King’s Armourer, responsible for the Royal Collection of Arms & Armour.
A specialist in arms and armor, historical metalworking techniques, and heritage crafts, he runs his own practice providing research, conservation, and display services for historic arms and armor.
If you have any questions about programming, please reach out to museum-programs@artic.edu.
Closed captioning will be available for this program. For questions related to accessibility accommodations, please email access@artic.edu.
