issue 09 (High resolution) Februari 2012 (PDF

Transcription

ISSUE 09 SUMMER 2012
MAGAZINE
19
Fashion and Fencing
Wallace Collection
17
To Feed an Army
Stockholm
32
Medals, Royal Military
Museum, Brussels
41
Shropshire Museums
ICOMAM – the International Committee of Museums of
Arms and Military History - is an International Committee of
ICOM – the International Council of Museums.
It provides a forum for museums worldwide:
• To encourage scientific research about arms and
armour and military collections, both in specialised and
general museums and in military collections.
• To stimulate a proper, professional standard of collection
care, management, conservation and use in line with
internationally recognised good practice and ICOM
guidelines.
• To promote the highest standards in display and
interpretation.
• To encourage networking and partnerships between
museums and research the world over.
ICOMAM achieves its goal by holding triennial
congresses and intermediate symposia on relevant topics.
ICOMAM has over 260 members, representing museums
in more than 50 countries world-wide, including such
famous institutions as the Royal Armouries of Leeds, the
French Musée de l'Armée, the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
The Musée de l'Armée et d'Histoire Militaire in Brussels, the
Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer of Vienna, the Real Armeria of
Madrid, the Topkapi Sarayi Museum in Istanbul.
Membership has increased over the past ten years including
a larger share of museums outside of Europe and America.
Also some so-called Battlefield Museums are members of
this international contact group.
ICOMAM is directed by an International ruling body
called the Executive Board. The ICOMAM approach to the
conservation and study of relevant artefacts is scientific,
dispassionate, objective and humanistic. It aims to assess
the importance of weaponry in world history as a major
sociological phenomenon touching on all the aspects of
politics, economics and social behaviour including its
artistic spin-offs and its relationship with our cultural
heritage and its interpretation in the world today.
http://www.klm-mra.be/icomam/
© Individual authors, Institutions
and ICOMAM, 2012
Published by
in association with ICOMAM
Hawthorne Cottage
Moorfield Road
LEEDS
LS12 3SE
UK
[email protected]
Design by Dazeye
ICOM is the international organisation of museums and
museum professionals which is committed to the
conservation, continuation and communication to society of
the world's natural and cultural heritage, present and
future, tangible and intangible.
http://icom.museum/
10
Welcome to the ninth edition of
MAGAZINE – the newsletter of
ICOMAM, the International
Committee of Museums of Arms
and Military History, published to
inform members of its activities
and publicize these to the wider
world.
Next year, ICOMAM will meet in
Rio de Janeiro with the theme of
the accessioning and deaccessioning of collections.
We would be very interested to
hear of your experiences ain this
field for out next issue.
14
41
Contents
News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04
Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
04 Welcome ICOMAM Chairman
27 Medieval Military Technology
06 National Army Museum News
10 Ventures and Successes
National Army Museum
Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
12 National Museum of The United
States Airforce
28 Practical Military History
14 Brompton 200: Royal Engineers
Museum
32 Medal Collection, Royal Museum
of the Armed Forces and Military
History, Brussels
16 Tijdelijke tentoonstellingeen
Robert Douglas Smith
Ruth Rhynas Brown
EDITORS
Exhibitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
36 Les collections d’armes du Musée
Royal de Mariemont
41 Arms and armour in Shropshire
museums
46 The Camel: Oman’s secret weapon
17 To Feed an Army:
Army Museum Stockholm
19 The Noble Art of the Sword:
Fashion and Fencing in
Renaissance Europe.
Wallace Collection
25 Bashford Dean and the Creation of
the Arms and Armor Department
Cover: Rapier of Christian II, Elector of
Saxony. The hilt probably made by Marx
Bischhausen of Dresden, the blade
Solingen, c. 1605–7. Provenance: Electors
of Saxony. Rüstkammer, Staatliche
Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, VI.433
Wallace Collection, page 20
ISSUE 09 MAGAZINE 3
News
ICOMAM NEWS
Welcome
Piet De Gryse
Senior Curator, Royal Military
Museum, Brussels
ICOMAM Chairman
D
ear reader, We hope that when leafing through this new
number of The Magazine you already signed up for our
annual conference later this year. It promises to be an
unusual experience, with a good mix of lectures, visits to
museums and possibilities for networking. Our local
contact, dr. Christopher Roads, does his utmost to make the
congress as attractive as possible. All necessary information
is to be found on our website, where you also can register on
line (a first!) for both the congress and the post-congress
tour: http://icomam.icom.museum. We are very pleased and
honoured to be able to announce that dr. Hans-Martin Hinz,
president of ICOM, will be with us for the conference. The
presence of the president of a 30,000 strong association
indicates that our congress is important to ICOM as well.
ICOM has for some time now been trying to create a closer
relationship with the various Arab countries. An
International Committee conference in one of those target
countries therefore of course is an occasion par excellence
to network. For ICOMAM it undoubtedly is both a special
honour and a challenge.
On June 4, 5 and 6 the annual ICOM meeting took place
in Paris. Just as last year ICOMAM sent a threefold
delegation: Eva-Sofi Ernstell (Stockholm, Sweden), Mathieu
Willemsen, secretary (Delft, The Netherlands) and yours
truly. Our upcoming congress made for most pleasant
conversations with the members of the National ICOM
Committee – Oman, present in Paris for the first time.
During a working luncheon with the complete Omani and
ICOMAM delegations and in the presence of ICOM president
dr. Hans-Martin Hinz and ICOM Director general Julius
Anfruns the provisional program was discussed, and it was
agreed to amend and alter it wherever necessary.
Shortly before the meetings in Paris ICOM HQ told
ICOMAM that we were to receive a 3,215 euro grant for the
year 2012. This subsidy is based on the 2011 annual report
we submitted ICOM HQ at the end of January 2012. The
allowance is slightly lower than in 2011 (3,333 euro).
However, we also receive a supplementary subsidy in the
framework of the ICOM program Support to young members
4 MAGAZINE ISSUE 09
to attend IC meetings 2012, which will allow us to send a
young scholar to the conference. This makes the overall
2012 balance supporting our actions quite positive.
August 10 to 17, 2013: these are the dates for the
upcoming ICOM congress to be organized in Rio de Janeiro
(Brazil). Be sure to take the dates down, because we will at
the same time hold our annual ICOMAM conference. The
2013 conference will gather at the Cidade des Artes (City of
Arts) situated in Barra da Tijuca in the southwest of Rio,
where the 2012 United Nations Rio +20 Earth Summit
recently took place and where the 2016 Olympic Games will
be held. I would explicitly like to thank our Vice Chairman
Armando de Senna Bittencourt for the follow-up on this file
and the communication of all necessary information to
ICOM Brazil. Details not only on the ICOM program but also
on our own meetings, as well as the specific ICOMAM
theme will be featured in a next issue of The Magazine.
Right now, you just have to jot down the dates.
Some months ago a specific task force within the
Executive Board started working on the revision of our
statutes. The existing statutes, dating back to 2003, indeed
were in need of updating, amongst other reasons to match
the ICOM guidelines. The study was first transmitted to
ICOM HQ and last year in Graz, once the ICOM suggestions
had been incorporated, put in front of the complete
Executive Board. The new statutes are now of course to be
presented to all voting members. Our secretary Mathieu
Willemsen will shortly activate this consultative process.
For quite some years now ICOMAM has been trying to
participate in the discussions of the Arms Trade Treaty
Preparatory Committee, as well as in the discussions of the
Small Arms and Light Weapons Committee at UN level. Our
board member Kenneth Smith-Christmas, and our local
contact Tom Mason as specialist for the World Forum on the
Future of Sport Shooting Activities have been involved in
several meetings at UN level. An important meeting is
planned in New York at the beginning of July where they will
advocate our point of view in this matter (read our policy for
Safeguarding the World Heritage of Small Arms and Light
Weapons on our website!).
Finally, I wish to thank the editors of this Magazine, Bob
and Ruth Smith-Brown, and the many contributing authors
for their collaboration. They once more succeeded in putting
together an exciting issue.
See you in Nizwa in the beautiful and surprising Oman!
News
C
her lecteur, Nous espérons qu’en feuilletant ce nouveau
numéro de The Magazine, vous vous êtes déjà inscrit
pour notre congrès annuel au Sultanat d’Oman. Nous nous
attendons à une expérience hors du commun, avec un bon
mélange de communications, de visites et de rencontres.
Notre correspondant sur place, le Dr. Christopher Roads, a
mis les petits plats dans les grands pour compiler un
rendez-vous des plus intéressants. Toutes les informations
nécessaires se trouvent sur notre site Internet, à partir
duquel vous pouvez également vous enregistrer en ligne
(une grande première !) tant pour le congrès que pour les
visites post-congrès : http://icomam.icom.museum. Nous
sommes très heureux et honorés de pouvoir vous annoncer
la présence du Dr. Hans-Martin Hinz, le président de l’ICOM.
La présence du président d’une association comptant
30.000 membres indique que notre congrès importe
également à l’ICOM. Depuis quelque temps, l’ICOM essaie
de tisser des liens plus soutenus avec les différents pays
arabes. La conférence d’un Comité international dans un
des pays cible est évidemment une occasion rêvée pour
créer des rencontres. Pour l’ICOMAM, il s’agit
indéniablement d’un honneur et d’un défi.
Les 4, 5 et 6 juin a eu lieu la rencontre annuelle de
l’ICOM à Paris. Tout comme l’année dernière, l’ICOMAM a
envoyé une délégation tripartite : Eva-Sofi Ernstell
(Stockholm, Suède), Mathieu Willemsen, secrétaire (Delft,
Pays-Bas) et votre dévoué président. Notre prochain
congrès a fait l’objet de très agréables entretiens avec les
membres du Comité national ICOM – Oman, qui étaient
présents à Paris pour la première fois. Lors d’un déjeuner
avec la délégation d’Oman au grand complet et en présence
du président de l’ICOM, le Dr. Hans-Martin Hinz et le
directeur général de l’ICOM, Julius Anfruns, le programme
provisoire a été passé en revue et il a été convenu de
l’amender si nécessaire.
Quelques jours avant la conférence, le QG de l’ICOM à
Paris nous faisait savoir que nous allions recevoir un
subside de 3.215 euro pour l’année 2012. Ce subside se
basait sur le rapport annuel 2011 que nous avions soumis
au QG de l’ICOM fin janvier 2012. Le subside est légèrement
inférieur à celui de 2011 (3.333 euro). Cependant, nous
allons recevoir une allocation supplémentaire dans le cadre
du programme de l’ICOM « Aide aux jeunes membres pour
leur participation aux réunions CI de 2012 », ce qui nous
permettra d’envoyer un jeune chercheur à la conférence. De
cette façon, le soutien à nos actions en 2012 est positif.
10-17 août 2013 : voilà les dates du prochain congrès de
l’ICOM, congrès qui se tient tous les trois ans et qui sera
organisé, vous le savez peut-être déjà, à Rio de Janeiro
(Brésil). Notez ces dates dans vos agendas, car notre
conférence annuelle se tiendra simultanément. La
conférence 2013 se réunira à la Cidade des Artes (la Cité
des Arts) de Barra da Tijuca au sud-ouest de Rio, au même
endroit où vient de se tenir le sommet de la Terre des
Nations Unies et où se tiendront les Jeux olympiques de
2016. Je tiens à remercier tout particulièrement notre viceprésident Armando de Senna Bittencourt pour le suivi de ce
dossier et la communication de toutes les informations
nécessaires à l’ICOM Brésil. Les détails, tant sur le
programme de l’ICOM que sur notre propre congrès,
paraîtront dans un prochain numéro de The Magazine. Pour
l’instant, vous avez uniquement à prendre note des dates.
Il y a quelques mois, un groupe de travail spécifique au
sein du Comité exécutif s’est penché sur la révision de nos
statuts. Les statuts existants, datant de 2003, avaient en
effet besoin d’une bonne révision, notamment pour
répondre aux directives de l’ICOM. L’étude a d’abord été
transmise au QG de l’ICOM, avant d’être présentée, après
incorporation des remarques de l’ICOM, au Comité exécutif
lors du congrès de Graz de l’année dernière. Les nouveaux
statuts seront maintenant proposés à tous les membres.
Cette consultation sera bientôt lancée par notre secrétaire
Mathieu Willemsen.
Depuis quelques années, l’ICOMAM essaie de participer
aux débats du Comité préparatoire pour le traité sur le
commerce des armes et aux entretiens de la Commission
Petites Armes de l’ONU. Notre membre du comité Kenneth
Smith-Christmas et le spécialiste du forum mondial sur
l’avenir des associations de tir sportif Tom Mason ont
participé à plusieurs réunions. Une grande réunion aura lieu
à New York en juillet et ils y défendront notre point de vue en
la matière (lisez notre note sur la préservation du
patrimoine mondial des petites armes sur notre site
Internet !).
Enfin, j’aimerais remercier les rédacteurs de ce
Magazine, Bob et Ruth Smith-Brown, ainsi que les
nombreux auteurs qui ont contribué à cette édition. Tous
ensemble, ils ont – une fois encore – réussi à composer un
numéro passionnant.
Au plaisir de vous rencontrer à Nizwa, dans le
magnifique et surprenant Sultanat d’Oman !
ISSUE 09 MAGAZINE 5
News
National Army
Museum secures
Heritage Lottery
Fund support
T
he National Army Museum (NAM), based in Chelsea,
London, has received initial support for a £11.3m
Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) bid, including £350,000 of
development funding, for the Building for the Future project.
The project aims to see the radical transformation of
NAM’s offer for on-site, off-site and online audiences
through a programme of redevelopment and outreach
activities.
The project will include the renovation of the visitor
experience at the Chelsea site, with new galleries to
reinterpret the Collection, much improved education
facilities and increased access to the Collection. In addition,
NAM will be developing an extensive outreach programme
working alongside the pre-existing national network of
regimental museums. This programme will establish a
range of digital and off-site projects that will include touring
exhibitions, volunteer and training opportunities. These
activities will be linked to the upcoming First World War and
Battle of Waterloo anniversaries in 2014 and 2015.
The National Army Museum opened on its current site in
1970 to house the national
collections of the Land Forces of the Crown, and now
receives in excess of 270,000 visitors a year. With no major
building work undertaken since 1980, the project provides
NAM with the opportunity to upgrade the existing site to
meet the needs of its growing audiences.
Janice Murray, the Director of the National Army
Museum, said, ‘We are absolutely thrilled to have achieved
the stage one development grant. The Museum has seen a
huge increase in visitors over the last six years and this
project enables us build on that success, creating exciting
projects reaching communities up and down the country.’
Sue Bowers, Head of HLF London, said: ‘The Heritage
Lottery Fund was extremely
impressed with the National Army Museum’s plans,
particularly a range of innovative ideas which would
transform the visitor experience and widen the overall
appeal of the site. Whilstthis is just the beginning of the
journey and there is much hard work to be done we are
delighted with how the project is developing and look
forward to liaising closely with the museum in the coming
months.’
6 MAGAZINE ISSUE 09
Kids Counting in
Kalashnikovs
A
n Afghan schoolbook, which uses bullets and
Kalashnikov rifles as counting tools, is one of several
poignant items now on display at the National Army
Museum.
The illustrated children’s textbook references apples and
pears alongside mujahed (holy warrior), jihad (holy war) and
topak (rifle) in its exercises. The book dates from the Islamic
year 1356 (circa 1986) during the Soviet war in Afghanistan.
Its warlike content is a stark reminder of the lasting legacy
of conflict in modern Afghan society, with lethal weapons
being regarded as everyday items.
Curator, Sophie Stathi, said: “For me, the military
subject matter of the schoolbook reflects how the conflict
touched the everyday lives of citizens in Afghanistan.”
The schoolbook joins other new display items including
charm bracelets and Operation Service Medals in the
Afghanistan section of the Museum’s Conflicts of Interest
gallery. This area sheds light on the intensity and human
cost of the recent fighting, and the British Army’s long
history in the region.
The Conflicts of Interest gallery explores over 40 years of
conflicts, from Northern Ireland and the Falklands to Iraq
and Afghanistan. It examines the role of the British Army
across the globe and the impact being a serviceman or
woman has on home life. Conflicts of Interest is a forum for
debate and the gallery’s Conflicting Opinions area
News
encourages visitors to consider the consequences of both
military intervention and inaction, and to share their own
opinion.
Watch and listen to interviews about these new
Afghanistan items at:
http://www.nam.ac.uk/collection/collection-news/newafghanistan-objects-on-display
New items on display in the Afghanistan section of the
Conflict of Interest gallery:
Afghan schoolbook
This children’s workbook from the Soviet era (1980s) was
found in 2007 by Captain Daniel Hinxman, 2nd Battalion, the
Mercian Regiment. His team set up a medical clinic for
villagers outside Zumbalay in a compound previously used
by the Taliban.
Lent by Captain Daniel Hinxman
Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan
This medal was awarded to Sapper Dewi Allen for service in
Afghanistan in 2009-10. The red and blue bands of the
medal ribbon reflect the three British services involved,
while the light brown represents Afghanistan’s landscape.
Lent by Sapper Allen
Memorial wristband
Corporal David Barnsdale was killed in an IED strike in
2010, while taking part in a route clearance near Gereshk.
To commemorate “a character” and “a friend of everyone”,
Corporal Barnsdale’s family produced memorial wristbands
for the entire squadron. This pristine example was donated
by Corporal Barnsdale’s close friend; whose own wristband
is faded through constant wear.
‘Lucky charm’ bracelet
Lance Corporal Jose Cravalho De Matos paid $5 to an
Afghan local to have this bracelet woven with the name of
his girlfriend, Sophie, and wore it every day as a “lucky
charm”.It worked: on one operation alone, he walked over
two well-concealed devices which failed to detonate.
Unofficial Search Badge
In the face of frequent demands on soldiers from 61 Field
Squadron to ‘do Engineers’ work’, this badge was ordered by
their officers to encourage recognition of the Search Teams’
specialist role.
Toby Ecclestone’s identification badge
Due to the nature of the injuries they face, Search Team 9,
ordered an additional form of identification badge. Worn on
the sleeve, this badge features the blood type and Zap
number of Sapper Toby Ecclestone. Zap numbers are a
combination of a soldier’s last name and their
Army number. They are used in radio reports to identify
casualties.
National Army
Museum
New Galleries
Jubilee: 60 Years of the Sovereign and Her Soldiers
Opens 25 May - Free
Queen Elizabeth II joins Queen Victoria as only the second
British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee.
Celebrating 60 years of The Queen's reign, this display
explores different aspects of the relationship between The
Sovereign and her Army. It shows The Queen not only in her
ceremonial role, but also on active service.
Visitors can discover the historic link between the Monarchy
and the Armed Services and how these traditions continue
today.
This display draws on the Museum's collections of archive
images and artefacts, including The Queen's ATS uniform.
War Horse: Fact &
Fiction – Free
Closes 31 August 2012
A major new exhibition
exploring the true history
behind the hugely
popular War Horse novel.
This is an exhibition for
all the family with
exciting hands-on
interactive displays and
exclusive costumes and props from the Spielberg-directed
film, plus material from War Horse author, Michael
Morpurgo and the National Theatre. The touching real-life
stories of the horses and the men who depended on them
will be illustrated through the Museum’s rich Collection
encouraging visitors to think about the million of ‘patient
heroes’ who supported the British Army.
http://www.nam.ac.uk/press/war-horse-fact-fiction
Kids' Zone
Discover the Museum’s new soft-play area called Kids’ Zone
with forest and arctic themed climbing frames for kids to
scale, slide and run through. This colourful children’s play
area explores aspects of army life from camping to clothing
and includes a dedicated soft-play space for babies, plus
arts and crafts, dressing-up costumes, books, interactive
toys and panels. At the heart of the new Kids’ Zone are the
six key principals of Early Years Foundation Stages, ensuring
that children are learning whilst having fun. There are
exciting objects from the Museum’s Collection on display
with lots of interactive models for children to touch and
explore. This fresh new space offers kids the space to move,
interact and create in a bright and safe environment.
http://www.nam.ac.uk/kids/kids-zone
ISSUE 09 MAGAZINE 7
News
Up-coming
Events
The National Army Museum Book Festival
8 and 9 September 2012
This September, The National Army Museum will bring
together leading authors and historians to give 16 talks over
two days covering the entire sweep of British Military
history. The first ever NAM book festival is a must for anyone
interested in the history of the British Army.
Held in conjunction with Osprey Military Press
Tickets:
£15.00 standard (single day)
£12.50 concessions (single day
£25.00 single ticket for both days
The Big Blitz Jive
22 September 2012
The Museum’s alive with Big Blitz Jive! An electric evening
of fun ‘40s dance, glamour and Big Band sounds at the
National Army Museum. Swing and jive to the sounds of the
big band, brush up on your fancy footwork with the
professional dance instructors from the London Swing
Society and ladies enjoy an extra touch of glamour with our
authentic 40’s hair and make-overs. Grab your partners by
the hand and join the Big Blitz Jive!
Tickets:
£15.00 standard
£12.50 Concession
£7.50 under 15’s
On Afghanistan’s Plains: The Story of Britain’s Afghan Wars
Jules Stewart
1 August 2012, 7.00pm
Have we learned nothing? Jules Stewart examines Britain’s
past wars in Afghanistan, the losses sustained and their
impact on the current conflict. Jules Stewart looks at the
potential danger of re-playing Britain’s military catastrophes
and considers what can be learnt from revisiting earlier
Afghan conflicts.
Celebrity speaker tickets:
£7.50 standard.
£5 concessions or 3 tickets for the price of 2 tickets
World Wars Celebrity Speaker Day - Speakers TBC
17 November 2012, 10.30am - 5.30pm
Were the First and Second World Wars one giant global
struggle? The World Wars define the 20th century. As
historians begin to question the accuracy of looking at the
World Wars as two distinct and separate conflicts we bring
together authors and historians to discuss the issues
surrounding this global struggle.
Tickets :
£15.00 standard
£12.50 concession
Permanent galleries
Remembrance
11 November 2012
To mark the commemorations for Armistice Day and pay
tribute to the fallen from all conflicts, British solider ‘Tommy
Atkins’ will read The Roll Call of the fallen.
Celebrity speakers
Churchill and Company by David Dilks
27 November 2012, 7.00pm
46 years after his death, Sir Winston Churchill continues to
command attention across the world. David Dilks reflects
upon Churchill's relations with friends and rivals. Excerpts
from Churchill’s speeches not previously heard in this
country will illustrate the talk.
Defeating Hitler by Paul Winter
4 July 2012, 7.00pm
From Hitler’s madness to the failure of the German
intelligence services, Paul Winter draws on previously
unpublished, top secret Whitehall documents, to examine
the reasons for the eventual defeat of Hitler’s war machine.
8 MAGAZINE ISSUE 09
Changing the World 1784 – 1904
This gallery examines the British Army’s role in the
expansion and defence of British trade, political interest,
and empire, and its effect on the shape of Britain and the
world today.
http://www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/permanentgalleries/changing-world-1784-1904
News
http://www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/special-displays/nationalservice
Korea 1950 – 53: The Cold War’s Hot War
Marking the 60th Anniversary since the outbreak of the
Korean War, this new display examines the role of the
British Army during the first and only UN war to date. Mixing
World Wars, 1905-1945
This gallery explores the role of the British
Commonwealth's civilian armies and their defence of
democracy during the First and Second World Wars, the era
of 'Total War'.
http://www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/permanentgalleries/world-wars-1905-1945
Conflicts of Interest
This major new gallery examines over four decades of action
on the world stage by the modern British Army. Looking
beyond the media headlines, it explores the conflicting
interests of enforcing peace through a violent means,
balancing global security with the needs of vulnerable
communities and the demands of the job on the personal
lives of our troops.
http://www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/permanentgalleries/conflicts-interest-1969-present
National Service Display
Covering eight conflicts in 20 years, this new display
explores the contribution of Britain’s post-war national
service conscripts as they moved from civilian to soldier.
Personal stories of endless drilling and grueling inspections
are contrasted with detail on how such a range of difficult
commitments sent these young men to far-flung corners of
the world.
The Making of Britain Display
From foreign invasion to contests for the crown, from civil
war at home to rebellion in the Colonies, this gallery
investigates the Army’s role in creating and defending the
nation state of Great Britain we know today.
personal objects and artefacts from the Museum’s
collection with contemporary media reports, the display will
explore both the personal experience of soldiers and the
far-reaching legacy of the conflict.
http://www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/special-displays/korea1950-53-cold-wars-hot-war
Action Zones
Victorian Soldier Action Zone
Are you a drummer boy, an infantryman or a cavalry officer?
Find out in the Museum’s interactive Victorian Action Zone.
Quizzes, games and hands-on activities help you learn about
life as a Victorian Soldier and the part they played in the
shaping of Britain’s Empire. Admission: Free Location:
Changing the World gallery
The World’s Army – Empire, Commonwealth and Dominion
Soldiers
1914- 45 Action Zone
Explore the lives of people from around the world involved in
the First and Second World Wars and the great advance
made in technologies of warfare in our family interactive
zone. Admission: Free, Location: World Wars gallery
Tickets can be booked in the following ways:
In person at the Museum shop, online at:
http://www.nam.ac.uk www.nam.ac.uk or by phone: 020
7881 6600
Lunchtime lectures
Free Lunchtime lectures take place every Thursday at
12.30pm.
Please see website for further details:
http://www.nam.ac.uk/whats-on/lunchtime-lectures
For further information or images, please contact:
National Army Museum press office Tel: 020 7730 0717 ext.
2535, email:
ISSUE 09 MAGAZINE 9
News
New Ventures
and Successes
Note from the
National Army
Museum Director
Janice Murray
R
ecord visitor figures, innovative
partnerships and laying the
foundations for an exciting new future;
2011-12 has marked a step change in the
way we operate. We are now reaching more
audiences in more ways than ever before.”
In 2011-12 the National Army Museum enjoyed its most
successful year to date, welcoming over 270,000 visitors
through its doors with a packed programme of acclaimed
exhibitions and innovative events and digital projects.
The opening of two hugely popular temporary
exhibitions, the explosive Draw Your Weapons: The Art of
Commando Comics followed by our special exhibition War
Horse: Fact & Fiction, alongside the relaunch of our hugely
popular Kids’ Zone space, provided new and exciting content
for all the family.
Programmed alongside these were talks by worldrenowned experts such as Peter Snow, Max Hastings and
10 MAGAZINE ISSUE 09
Saul David, as well as a series of in-depth discussion events
covering a broad range of topics from the British Army’s
campaign in Malaya to the Anglo-Zulu War.
Significant interest in our Britain’s Greatest Foes digital
project and War Horse microsite have seen record virtual
visitors, many of whom came from outside the UK.
Behind the scenes our curatorial teams have been
focused on the rehousing of 90% of our Study Collection in
state-of-the-art new facilities. The improved recording and
storage of the Collection means it is now more accessible
than ever before.
We have also been attracting nationwide acclaim
through widespread national and international press
coverage. Industry recognition has been received through
our longlisting for The Telegraph’s Family Friendly Museums
Award and our shortlisting at the prestigious Museums and
Heritage awards for War Horse: Fact & Fiction.
We could not have achieved so much over the past year
without great partnerships. The Museum is proud to have
worked with Michael Morpurgo, the National Theatre and
Disney to create War Horse: Fact and Fiction, and we were
delighted when HRH The Duchess of Cornwall was able to
open the exhibition.
Leading publishers DC Thomson were integral to the
development of Draw Your Weapons: The Art of Commando
Comics allowing us to display original items from their vast
archive and providing us with invaluable creative input.
Perhaps most excitingly, however, was the creation of
the Museum masterplan. This outlines our vision for the
National Army Museum of the future, not just in the
News
innovative redisplay of the Chelsea site, but also in the
development of a national footprint. We will be working hand
in hand with our regimental museum partners to illustrate
and remember the contribution of the British Army in
communities up and down the country. The appointment of
a full-time Regimental Liaison Officer and warm support
from the Army Museums Ogilby Trust and the MOD have put
in place the groundwork for this development over the next
five years.
We embark on the 2012-13 year with greater financial
security provided by our Fundraising Leadership Group and
restructured Commercial Services team. We will be looking
to generate a range of exciting new outreach work reaching
ever more diverse audiences and move forward with plans
for commemorations surrounding the First World War
centenary and the 200th anniversary of the Battle of
Waterloo.
New Post to
Strengthen Links
Across Army
Museums
T
he National Army Museum is pleased to announce the
appointment of a full-time, Regimental Museums
Liaison Officer. This is a new post, established by the
Museum to provide dedicated support and greater
collaboration between the Museum, across the country’s
136 Regimental Museums, Ministry of Defence and the
Army Museums Ogilby Trust (AMOT). Military Museums have
seen growing public’s interest with over five million people
visiting Regimental Museums in 2010-11. The creation of
this post offers an exciting opportunity for Regimental
Museums and the National Army Museum to work closer
together to raise the profile of Military Museums, the stories
they hold and the people and events they commemorate to
generate even more public visits and interest.
There was great competition for the role with the post
being awarded to Mr. Julian Farrance. Julian has worked at
National Army Museum, Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea,
London SW3 4HT
Nearest Tube Station: Sloane Square
Open daily 10am to 5.30pm (except 24-26 Dec & 1 Jan)
Telephone: 020 7730 0717 Registered Charity No. 237902
www.nam.ac.ukwww.nationalmuseum.af.mil.
the National Army Museum for 12 years and brings with him
great enthusiasm, as well as extensive experience of the
museum, military and educational sectors. Julian Farrance,
said “The National Army Museum and the 136 Regimental
Museums provide a great network of Military Museums
within communities across the country for everyone to visit
and enjoy. Working together, we can offer visitors greater
access to collections and resources, providing them with an
even better visitor experience that will engage and harness
their growing interest in military history.”
Julian will be coordinating specialist training and advice,
events and networking opportunities for Regimental
Museums, as well as coordinating touring exhibition support
and Collection loans.
The post is part of the National Army Museum’s
comprehensive programme to provide the public with
greater access to its Collection and with the remarkable
items, stories and histories held across the country in the
network of Regimental Museums. The Museum explores the
impact of the British Army on the story of Britain, Europe
and the world, how Britain’s past has helped shape its
present and how the actions of a few can affect the futures
of many.
ISSUE 09 MAGAZINE 11
News
News from the National Museum
of the United States Air Force
Dayton, Ohio
U.S. Air Force's
First C-17 Arrives
T
he U.S. Air Force’s first C-17 (T-1) landed at the National
Museum of the U.S. Air Force on Wednesday, April 25.
This C-17 Globemaster III (S/N 87-0025) was essentially
hand-built for the sole purpose of developmental test and
evaluation, with an estimated life span of approximately five
years. The aircraft was periodically rebuilt and refurbished
over the years and its lifespan grew from five to 21 years.
“After more than 20 years of wide-ranging flight tests, T1 is starting a new career at the National Museum of the
U.S. Air Force,” said Lt. Gen. (Ret.) John L. “Jack” Hudson,
museum director. “This aircraft will serve as the
representative C-17 airframe in the museum’s collection,
allowing us to share with the public more of the story of the
demanding airlift missions facing today’s Air Force.”
T-1 made its first flight on Sept. 15, 1991, when it was
delivered to the USAF at Edwards AFB, Calif., for testing.
After completing the extensive C-17 flight test program, T-1
supported many other flight and propulsion test programs
for the USAF, NASA and others.
In addition to its role as a flight test aircraft, T-1 is also a
Hollywood star. The aircraft appeared in country superstar
Toby Keith’s Emmy Award-winning production of “American
Soldier.” T-1 went on to appear in five motion pictures:
“Transformers,” “Iron Man,” “Transformers: Revenge of the
Fallen,” “Iron Man 2” and “Superman: Man of Steel” (to be
released by Warner Brothers in 2013).
“Today, C-17 (87-0025) takes on her final and incredibly
important assignment,” said Col. Andrew D. Ingram, the C17 system program director at Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base. “If you’ve ever witnessed the face of an 8-year-old
little girl or a 7-year-old little boy when they first enter the
museum's Cold War Gallery and see the B-2 and the F-22
for the very first time, you know what I'm talking about. This
is a place where dreams are born. America's future walks
these galleries, every day.”
The C-17 is the Air Force’s newest, most versatile cargo
aircraft to enter the airlift force. It is capable of rapid
strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main
operating bases or directly to small airfields. The aircraft
can also perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions or
transport litters and ambulatory patients during
aeromedical evacuations.
According to Bob Ciesla, vice president Airlift and C-17
program manager for the Boeing Company, it is a great
honor to support the U.S. Air Force by building the C-17
Globemaster III and continuing a proud and long history of
supporting our military men and women with the best
products, systems and technologies to carry out their
missions.
“Congratulations to the Air Force on the retirement of T1 – the revolutionary C-17 that for two decades has provided
the most advanced strategic and tactical airlift capabilities
of any airlifter in the world,” Ciesla said. “We are proud to
continue building and maintaining the world’s C-17s to bring
hope, save lives and preserve peace.”
The museum anticipates the C-17 to be on public display
in the Air Park this summer. More information about the
aircraft is available at
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp
?id=19411
22 B-25 Mitchell
bombers plan to take
part in tribute to
Doolittle Tokyo Raiders
O
ne of the largest gatherings of B-25 Mitchell bombers
since World War II is being planned to take place as part
of a tribute to the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders as they
commemorate the 70th anniversary of their raid on Japan
during a reunion April 17-20 at the National Museum of the
U.S. Air Force.
On April 18, 1942, 80 men achieved the unimaginable
when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret
mission to bomb Japan. These men, led by Lt. Col. James H.
"Jimmy" Doolittle, came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo
Raiders.
Twenty-two B-25 Mitchell bombers plan to come from
across the nation and land on the runway behind the
museum on the morning of April 17. The aircraft will then
be placed on static display from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for the
public to get an up-close look at each plane and meet the
pilots and crews.
News
On April 18 at approximately 12:15 p.m., the aircraft will
take-off one by one, form-up together over the Dayton area
and then fly in formation over the museum at 1 p.m. — just
prior to the Doolittle Raiders Memorial Service in the
museum’s Memorial Park.
These outdoor reunion events are weather contingent
and subject to change. In order to operate the B-25s on the
museum’s normally closed runway, there must be relatively
clear weather and a dry runway. A final weather call will be
announced on April 16. For the latest updates and
information on the reunion, including the complete
schedule, visit:
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/doolittle.asp
The Doolittle Tokyo Raiders Association, Inc. continues
to work on securing sponsorship to assist with the funding
of these B-25 aircraft. Those interested in helping should
visit http://www.doolittle-raiders.org/ www.doolittleraiders.org, or contact Tom Casey with the Doolittle Tokyo
Raiders Association, Inc. at (941) 921-7361 or
[email protected] or Larry Kelley at (410) 991-2356 or
[email protected]. (Federal endorsement is not implied.)
At this time, all five of the living Doolittle Tokyo Raiders - Lt. Col. Richard E. Cole, Lt. Col. Robert L. Hite, Lt. Col.
Edward J. Saylor, Maj. Thomas C. Griffin and Staff Sgt. David
J. Thatcher -- are able to travel and plan to be on-hand for
the reunion events. Others scheduled to attend the reunion
include retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Allen Josey, who was
an electrician on the aircraft carrier Hornet when the
Raiders took off on their mission, and Hu Daxian of
Zhejiang, China. Daxian is the wife of Li Senlin, who aided
Doolittle Tokyo Raider crew number two.
Other public events during the reunion include two
autograph sessions, two lunches (sold-out), a dinner
banquet (sold-out) and the screening of the film "Thirty
Seconds Over Tokyo," which will be shown in the museum's
Carney Auditorium on April 18.
Before and after the museum reunion events, the B-25
aircraft will stage out of Grimes Field in Urbana, Ohio, to
practice formation flights, and will offer public rides and
static displays. For more information on the events at
Grimes Field visit;
http://www.champaignaviationmuseum.org/Grimes_Gatheri
ng_of_B-25s.php
Southeast Asia War Art
Exhibit Now Open
A
n art exhibit featuring 30 paintings with scenes from the
war in Southeast Asia is now open at the National
Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
The paintings, which were selected for exhibit from the
U.S. Air Force Art Collection, can be viewed daily during
regular museum hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The artwork is
displayed in the museum’s Hall of Honor, and admission to
the museum and the exhibit is free.
“We are pleased to feature this exhibit as part of the
museum’s continuing commemoration of the 50th
anniversary of the War in Southeast Asia,” said Senior
Curator Terry Aitken. “These dramatic paintings are a
unique way for our visitors to reflect upon the events and
experiences of those who served in Southeast Asia.”
In addition to the art exhibit, museum staff has been
renovating the Southeast Asia War Gallery since the fall of
2010. Planned in four phases, the renovation’s first phase
was completed in the spring of 2011, and phase two will be
complete later this year. For updates, visit
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/sea.asp
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is
located on Springfield Street, six miles northeast of
downtown Dayton.
It is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day).
Admission and parking are free.
For more information about the museum, visit
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.
News
Brompton 200: Civilian Life in a Military Village
A new project at the Royal
Engineers Museum, Library and
Archive wins Heritage Lottery
Fund Support
T
oday, the Royal Engineers Museum, Library and Archive
(REMLA) has received £9,700 from the Heritage Lottery
Fund (HLF) for an exciting community led project, ‘Brompton
200: Civilian Life in a Military Village’, in Medway, Kent. 2012
celebrates the bicentenary of the Royal School of Military
Engineering (RSME) in Brompton. To celebrate this the
project, which is led by volunteers from the local
community, will explore the impact the military, in particular
the Royal Engineers, have had on the community of
Brompton. The project which includes a community run
historical website, touring exhibition and guided tours will
start at the end of April with the exhibition and website
launch planned for the end of June 2012.
Queeny the bulldog - the British mascot who was born and bred in
Brompton-an example of the sorts of stories the project hopes to
uncover
‘Brompton 200: Civilian Life in a Military Village’ is a
project organised by REMLA to increase local participation
in and awareness of the history of Brompton Village
covering the period 1812-2012. Members of the Brompton
History Research Group and other local volunteers will be
researching and collating information which will be
disseminated through a number of different means. A
touring exhibition will start at REMLA before running at
local libraries and Medway Archives and a number of guided
tours of Brompton and its historic sites will be run by
members of the local community over the summer months.
An interactive website will allow all members of the local
community to share stories of the area; upload photographs
as well as browse through the historical research that has
been collated and listen to oral histories which record local
memories of the village. These activities will be supported
by local history schools sessions and a teachers pack
News
developed by REMLA’s education department to aid Primary
Schools in the delivery of local history sessions. REMLA will
run a number of outreach sessions linked to the project and
will be offering free training for all the volunteers involved.
In 1812 the Royal Engineers set up the School of Military
Engineering (later the Royal School of Military EngineeringRSME) in Brompton. For 200 years the RSME and the Corps
of Royal Engineers have had an effect on the village of
Brompton, shaping its history and even its landscape.
Brompton is at the centre of a potential World Heritage Site
in Chatham and is part of what is known as ‘The Great Lines
Park’. Despite this little is known about the history of the
village, a civilian enclave in the heart of a military world,
which is surrounded by the Dockyard to the north, the Royal
School of Military Engineering to the east and the Great
Lines to the south and west. The village has been identified
as a key area that’s story is inextricably linked with the
development of the Medway towns. It is a story that needs
researching and retelling and the grant from the Heritage
Lottery Fund will enable this to happen.
Commenting on the award, Miss Amy Adams from the
Royal Engineers Museum, Library and Archive said:
“Brompton Village is a hidden gem in the Medway Towns
with a fascinating history which is begging to be told. We are
delighted to have the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund
which will allow the Museum to work with the local
community to discover the hidden secrets of Brompton’s
past and share them with the wider community.”
The Brompton Community- then and now
News
Pierre Terjanian Appointed Curator
in Department of Arms and Armor
at Metropolitan Museum
T
homas P. Campbell, Director of The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, announced the appointment of Pierre
Terjanian as a Curator in the Museum’s Department of
Arms and Armor, effective this October. He currently holds
the dual role of J. J. Medveckis Associate Curator of Arms
and Armor, as well as Acting Head of the Department of
European Decorative Arts and Sculpture before 1700, at the
Philadelphia Museum of Art.
“We are very pleased to welcome Pierre to the
Metropolitan Museum,” said Mr. Campbell in making the
announcement. “He is an impressive scholar with strong
curatorial credentials and experience. I am also delighted
that his arrival will coincide with the celebrations and
activities marking the centenary of our Arms and Armor
Department.”
Pierre Terjanian has worked at the Philadelphia Museum
of Art since 1997, first as an Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial
Fellow of Arms and Armor (1997-2000), and then as Adjunct
Associate Curator (2000-2003), Associate Curator (20042006), and the J. J. Medveckis Associate Curator (2006present), all in the Department of European Decorative Arts
and Sculpture before 1700. In his current role, he oversees
the museum’s Kretzschmar von Kienbusch Collection of
more than 1,200 outstanding examples of late medieval and
Renaissance European arms and armor and related objects.
In 2005, he also took on the position of Acting Head of the
Department of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture
before 1700, administering the department and overseeing
its collection. Among his many activities at the museum, he
has researched and re-catalogued extensive portions of the
arms and armor collection; rediscovered unique, long-lost
16th-century albums of drawings illustrating the works of
leading German armorers; reinstalled four permanent
galleries for arms and armor; acquired works including rare
16th-century armors for man and horse; prepared a
comprehensive, richly illustrated catalogue of 100 highlights
of the arms and armor collection that is scheduled for
publication in 2013; and lectured widely.
A native of Strasbourg, France, he obtained a masters
degree in law from Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas, a
master of science degree in management from HEC Paris,
and a doctoral degree in history from Université de Metz,
and has also done graduate study in history at the University
of California, Berkeley.
The ICOMAM website
I
COMAM’s website is hosted by the Royal Armouries in
Brussels and includes details of ICOMAM’s activities. We
are always trying to widen and increase our readership and
impact and want to encourage all our member museums to
include a link on their website or Facebook pages. Also
please tell your Museum Friends about us and where to get
hold of the MAGAZINE
See http://www.klm-mra.be/icomam
Exhibitions
To Feed an Army
1 June 2012 – 31 March 2013
T
he phrase “An army marches on its stomach” is usually
attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte. The fact that soldiers
need food and drink to function in the field is obvious to
most of us. Throughout the history of mankind, however, the
supply of food has played a significantly larger part in
warfare than many are aware of. Over thousands of years,
men have waged war over food and with food, but you
cannot wage war without food. Food is in many ways the fuel
that makes large-scale warfare possible. A secure supply of
food has always been necessary to feed an army so that its
soldiers have the strength to march and fight. To cut off the
enemy’s access to food is a weapon that is often more
efficient than bullets and grenades.
The exhibition To Feed an Army reflects these issues and
tells the story about food's role in military history in general
but especially on the importance of food in the history of the
Swedish army.
While creating this exhibition we have carried out an indepth study in archives and libraries to bring out the history
of objects such as cooking equipment, mess tins and
thermos flasks. In many cases it is entirely new information
that has become available and the exhibition catalog may be
viewed as a cultural achievement. The history of these
objects has not previously been documented.
The exhibition is aimed at the curious visitor, young or
old. The trivial things, which were used to make food for a
whole army has got a place in specially designed booths,
making their stories accessible and visible and worth
listening to.
To feed an army is an exhibition about food as a
necessity, and as a strategic weapon. It displays food history
in the Swedish army, from the locally produced stews of the
17th century to the freeze-dried battle rations of our time.
Items from the Army Museum collections mirror food
culture, cooking, meals and how the soldier got his daily
bread.
Klas Kronberg
Project leader
At the moment until 15/09/2012 this exhibition is on show
in the Royal Military Museum in Brussels…'
Exhibitions
Exhibitions
The Noble Art of the Sword:
Fashion and Fencing in Renaissance Europe
Wallace Collection 17 May 2012 - 16 September 2012
Rapier of the future Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II (1527-76)
The hilt Spanish or Italian, the blade by Antonio Piccinino of Milan,
c. 1550–70. Hofjagd –und Rüstkammer, Vienna, A588
Parade costume of Christian II, Elector of Saxony (1583–1611). The
construction and embroidery probably Saxon, Dresden, the fabric
possibly Italian, beginning of the 17th century, between 1601 and
1609. Signed ‘Biberach’. Provenance: Electors of Saxony.
Rüstkammer, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, i.7
Exhibitions
Rapier. Saxon, Dresden, the blade Solingen. Saxon, Dresden, the
blade Solingen, c. 1608. Provenance: Electors of Saxony.
Rüstkammer, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, VI.370 and
XI.4
Fight Book - Ridolfo Capo Ferro, Gran Simulatero dell'arte e
dell'uso della scherma, Siena. © The Howard de Walden Library
Rapier of Christian II, Elector of Saxony. The hilt probably made by
Marx Bischhausen of Dresden, the blade Solingen, c. 1605–7.
Provenance: Electors of Saxony. Rüstkammer, Staatliche
Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, VI.433
Exhibitions
Rapier, Spanish, c. 1565–1600. © By kind permission of the
Trustees of the Wallace Collection
Rapier, hilt Italian, blade Spanish, c. 1585–1620. © By kind
permission of the Trustees of the Wallace Collection
Rapier - hilt English, blade German, c. 1605–15
Exhibitions
Ragione di adoprar sicuramente l’arme si da
offesa. Giacomo di Grassi (active second half of the
16th century), Venice, 1570. © Wallace Collection,
Howard de Walden Library
Detail of a rapier by the goldsmith-jeweller Giulio
Cesare Marciliano. Made by the goldsmith-jeweller
Giulio Cesare Marciliano and the swordsmith
Federigo Piccinino, both of Milan, 1600–09.
Provenance: Gift from Elector Christian II of
Saxony to his brother Duke Johann Georg I in 1609
or earlier; placed in the Electoral armoury before
1612; Historical Museum, Dresden. Rüstkammer,
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden, VI 429,
p201 and i470
Exhibitions
Partial armour, Italian, c. 1570–90. © By kind permission of the
Trustees of the Wallace Collection
Anthony van Dyck - Philippe Le Roy, 1630. © By kind permission of
the Trustees of the Wallace Collection.
Combined Rapier and Wheel-Lock Pistol, German, c. 1580–90. ©
By kind permission of the Trustees of the Wallace Collection
Exhibitions
Fight Book - Achille Marozzo, Opera Nova, Bologna. © The Howard
de Walden Library
Fight Book - Ridolfo Capo Ferro, Gran Simulatero dell'arte e
dell'uso della scherma, Siena. © The Howard de Walden Library
Rapier Italian c. 1590–1620. © By kind permission of the Trustees
of the Wallace Collection
Exhibitions
Bashford Dean and the Creation of the
Arms and Armor Department
2 October 2012 – 29 September 2013
Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gallery, Arms and Armor Galleries
W
hen the Arms and Armor Department was created by
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees
on 28 October 1912, it was mainly due to the impressive
scholarship and tireless efforts of Dr. Bashford Dean (18671928), the department's founding curator.
To mark the centennial of the establishment of the Arms
and Armor Department, Bashford Dean and the Creation of
the Arms and Armor Department—an exhibition featuring
some 25 rare objects and period photographs—will
celebrate Dean’s multifaceted career, surveying his work as
a field zoologist in Japan, a professor at Columbia
University, and Curator of Fishes at the American Museum
of Natural History, and then concentrating on his
groundbreaking work as the Metropolitan Museum’s first
Curator of Arms and Armor.
Among the highlights of the exhibition will be a rare
example of late Gothic German armor (ca. 1475-1500) that
was expertly completed and restored under Dean’s close
supervision. Since this type of armor was no longer
available on the art market by the early 20th century, Dean
One of the galleries of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art as designed and installed under Bashford Dean’s
supervision in 1915, shortly after the Riggs donation
(photographed in 1921).
Gothic Armor. German, ca. 1475-1500, with early 20th century
additions and restorations. Steel, copper alloy, leather, pigment.
Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Bequest of Bashford Dean,
1928 (29.150.8).
Exhibitions
The staff of the Arms and Armor Department at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in 1919.
Bashford Dean ca. 1900 wearing a full suit of Japanese armor
(04.4.2) that he acquired while conducting scientific research in
Japan. He later donated the armor and his entire collection of
Japanese arms and armor to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
used his knowledge and resources to create one suitable for
museum display. Contrasted with this will be a 19thcentury Japanese armor that Dean acquired while
conducting scientific research in Japan and later donated to
the Museum. A photograph taken around 1900 that shows
him wearing the full suit of armor will be displayed together
with the armor.
Between 1904 and 1912, Dean rose rapidly from guest
curator to honorary curator and finally to head of the newly
created Arms and Armor Department, building the
collection into one of international importance before his
premature death in 1928. In the process, he designed
helmets and body armor for U.S. troops in World War I,
fostered interest and involvement from an influential group
of private collectors, established an American scholarship
on historical arms and armor, and laid the foundation for
the continued growth of the collection into one of the most
encyclopedic in the world today and one of the best loved
and most visited galleries in the Museum.
A variety of education programs will be offered in
conjunction with the exhibition and in celebration of the
100th anniversary of the Department of Arms and Armor,
including a Sunday at the Met on 28 October at 3:00 p.m.,
gallery talks and studio programs, and programs and
services for visitors with disabilities. A Family Guide to the
Bashford Dean, in his uniform as a Major of Ordnance, in charge of
the Helmets and Body Armor Unit, photographed ca. 1917-1918.
collection will also be published. Further details about the
exhibition and related programs will be available at
www.metmuseum.org.
A history of the Arms and Armor Department, written by
Stuart W. Pyhrr, Curator in Charge of the Museum’s Arms
and Armor Department, will also be published as the
Summer 2012 Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin.
The exhibition is organized by Donald J. La Rocca, Curator
of the Museum’s Arms and Armor Department.
Publications
Medieval Military
Technology
Kelly Devries and Robert D Smith.
University of Toronto Press, 2012.
ISBN 978-1-4426-0497-1.
356 pp. 50 illustrations.
F
irst published in 1992, Medieval Military
Technology has become the definitive book
in its field, garnering much praise and a large
readership. This thorough update of a classic
book, regarded as both an excellent overview
and an important piece of scholarship,
includes fully revised content, new sections on
the use of horses, handguns, incendiary
weapons, and siege engines, and eighteen new
illustrations. The four key organizing sections
of the book still remain: arms and armour,
artillery, fortifications, and warships.
Throughout, the authors connect these
technologies to broader themes and
developments in medieval society as well as to
current scholarly and curatorial controversies.
This is a full and authorative treatment of
the subject which illuminates our
understanding of the medieval world ad its
warfare with remarkable clarity.
John France, Swansea University
Articles
Practical Military History
David J Blackmore
T
he purposes of this paper are first
to introduce the idea of a new
approach to military history, explaining
its nature and role in the study of
military history. Secondly, it is to
demonstrate that this new approach
has broad benefits beyond simply
increasing our understanding of
warfare. Thirdly it will lay out the form
that practical history would take. It will
conclude with some suggestions of
how the subject might be integrated
into university teaching.
In recent years military history has
been described as falling into two
categories, old military history and
new military history. According to
Peter Paret new military history made
its appearance in the 1960s and he
offered the following definition.
Most military historians and others
conversant with the discipline
would probably agree that the New
Military History refers to a partial
turning away from the great
captains, and from weapons,
tactics, and operations as the main
concerns of the historical study of
war. Instead we are asked to pay
greater attention to the interaction
of war with society, economics,
politics, and culture. The New
Military History stands for an effort
to integrate the study of military
institutions and their actions more
closely with other kinds of history
(Paret 1991: 10).
At the same time, in the forward to his
book, The Nine Years’ War and the
British Army, 1688–1697, John Childs
wrote that both forms of military
history were necessary, explaining the
difference between the two, but also
pointing out their inter-dependency.
The ‘new military history’ has
principally been concerned with
the study of military institutions
and their interaction with social,
political and economic forces.
Campaign history has been
deliberately eschewed as
representative of the ‘old military
history’, a form too often practised
by ‘amateur’ historians and retired
service officers. Expressed crudely,
the ‘new military history’ has been
adopted by ‘professional’ historians
at universities to bring academic
respectability to a branch of their
discipline which has long been the
poor relation of its political,
religious, social and economic
brothers. A modus Vivendi between
the two varieties is slowly
emerging, especially in the military
history of the twentieth century,
but divergence remains strong in
the early modern period. Armies
were raised, at great expense, to
conduct legalised violence against
both the internal and external
enemies of the state. Their
campaigns, actions and methods
are as historically vital and relevant
as their institutions and personnel.
To study armies without
investigating their wars and battles
makes as much sense as learning
to write but not to read (Childs
1991: 2–3).
More recently William P Tatum has
offered a different division of military
history.
Instead of trying to maintain the
tired division between ‘old’ and
‘new’ military history, we should
instead look to the natural division
between the History of War and the
History of the Army.
He clarifies his proposal, speaking of
dividing ‘academic military history
between the study of War as a
In recent years military
history has been
described as falling into
two categories, old
military history and new
military history.
phenomenon and the study of the
Army as an institution...’ In arguing for
his proposed division he suggests that
there is a fundamental problem with
New Military History, which is ‘the
reduced role of combat within
analytical narratives’ (Tatum 2007:
79–80).
Paret’s paper was first given at the
annual meeting of the American
Military Institute in Durham, N.C. on
22 March 1991. The theme of the
conference was ‘The New Military
History’ and in his Conference Review
Essay John Whiteclay Chambers
wrote;
The criticism against a tendency
within the ‘new’ military history to
avoid the study of war and battle is
a point already well established in
the literature, and has already
contributed to a ‘new’ combat
history emphasizing the
experience of the common soldier
in battle and a ‘new’ operational
history integrating tactical,
strategic, and administrative
concerns into analyses of
economic mobilization, political,
and cultural influences (Chambers
1991: 395–406).
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Amongst the discussion of the nature
of ‘old’ and ‘new’ military history both
Tatum and Chambers make a
significant point. New Military History
has resulted in historians becoming
less concerned with combat. Perhaps,
as suggested by Childs, in order to
achieve some perceived respectability
for military history, its practitioners
have seized upon the readily available
methodologies of other forms of
history and thus moved away from
combat which those methodologies
are not able to analyse. Indeed, in
arguing for his division of military
history, Tatum argues that Military
history has failed to develop its own
methodologies and instead relied upon
the ready made options offered by
other forms of history (Tatum 2007:
74). Furthermore, one has only to look
at recent military history PhDs or
military history conference agendas to
see how infrequently analytical studies
of combat make an appearance. Work
featuring combat still tends to be of
the ‘old’ narrative type.
In recent years a number of
historians have endeavoured to
address this shortcoming. In his Art of
Warfare in the Age of Marlborough,
covering the period of 1688 to 1748,
Chandler’s aim is ‘a fairly full
examination of how the regimental
officer and soldier fought and
manoeuvred’ and he achieves a great
deal of success (Chandler 1990: 9).
However, as he deals with all arms
and the major European nations it is
perhaps not surprising that he does
not get down to the detail of how
Marlborough’s own army fought.
Writing about military history
books dealing with the period 1689 to
1763 Brent Nosworthy wrote ‘The socalled higher levels of warfare,
generally referred to as the
‘operational’ and ‘strategic’ levels, are
particularly well covered’. However, he
goes on to write ‘Though we are given
general information, such as the types
of formations the troops employed and
some of the methods they used to fire
their weapons, the picture blurs as
soon as we increase the degree of
magnification’ (Nosworthy 1992: xi).
Clearly there is
something missing from
the current approach to
Military history that is
not provided for in ‘new’
or ‘old’ military history
nor in the History of War
and the History of the
Army.
Elsewhere he has expressed his view
more bluntly, ‘The traditional approach
used to dissect and analyse battles
which explains ‘what’ occurred during
a particular contest has unfortunately
largely ignored the ‘how’ and the ‘why’’
(Nosworthy 1997: xv).
Nosworthy himself is not entirely
successful in his stated aims;
The goal of the present work, The
Anatomy of Victory: Battle Tactics
1689-1763, is to reconstruct each
of the major tactical and grand
tactical doctrines as they existed
during the period under
consideration, and to explore how
these doctrines evolved to produce
what could be called ‘Fredrician
warfare (Nosworthy 1992: xiii).
He does indeed explore the tactical
doctrines of the European nations
through the period, primarily France
and Prussia with who he deals in some
considerable depth, looking at their
doctrines and ongoing tactical
evolution. But this is still ‘what’ rather
than ‘how’. Despite his claimed goal he
still fails to explain the detail of the how
and why things occurred as they did.
Clearly there is something missing
from the current approach to Military
history that is not provided for in ‘new’
or ‘old’ military history nor in the
History of War and the History of the
Army. This is the study of the
procedures and practices of armies,
how they did things. I have called this
Practical Military History.
Practical Military History serves
two immediate purposes. First, it
enables the military historian to make
a correct interpretation of
contemporary accounts of military
events. James Wolfe considered
Bland’s Treatise of Military Discipline
indispensible to the military education
of young officers (Reid 2000: 133;
Bland 1727). This is the knowledge
that a junior officer in the British Army
required in order to carry out his
duties, but many historians endeavour
to understand and explain the
functioning of the army without the
same knowledge. Without this
knowledge it is considerably harder to
understand why things happened the
way they did. This, of course, does not
prevent the production of accurate
narrative accounts of battles and
campaigns, particularly as these tend
to be based on the accounts of officers
and men who did have the
professional knowledge to understand
events. Similarly other aspects of
military history, such as training,
finance, uniforms, equipment, strategy
and social history aspects can be
effectively addressed without this
knowledge. Yet military historians risk
misunderstanding or even completely
misinterpreting those accounts written
by professionals, because they do not
share the same knowledge of how
things were done and managed. In
turn this gives rise to the danger of
drawing incorrect conclusions about
tactics and doctrine.
Secondly, narrative military history
that is not supported by a thorough
knowledge of the military practices
and procedures of the army or period
under consideration can only be a
composite of contemporary
descriptions of events translated into a
modern idiom and placed into a
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chronological and topographical
framework. It cannot offer any more
than is in the accounts, it cannot
analyse those actions beyond stating
whether or not they were successful.
However, with a thorough knowledge
of the full repertoire of military
practices it is possible to consider
whether or not the best options were
chosen in a given situation and to
assess the skill with which the chosen
course of action was followed.
Although, naturally, any assessment
will be subjective, that is still a
considerable advance on a simple
account of events.
There is also a tendency amongst
narrative military historians to give
credit for the successful execution of a
battle plan to the general who devised
it without consideration for the skills
of the troops who execute it. However,
a military genius cannot make bad
troops good, whereas good troops can
make a mediocre general look good. A
knowledge of military practices at all
levels, from private to general, allows
an assessment to be made of where
the responsibility lies for the outcome
of an action, be it victory or defeat.
For example, it has long been
maintained that the defeat of the
British force under Braddock on the
Monongahela River in 1755 was the
result of the poor quality of the
infantry involved and the unsuitability
to the circumstances of employing
European style tactics. Stanley
Pargellis, however, has argued that is
was the failure of Braddock and his
officers to employ European tactics
properly that lead to the defeat. In
making his argument Pargellis refers
to the principle military manual of the
period written by Humphrey Bland
(Pargellis 1936: 253–269).
Practical military history can also
be of assistance to historians taking
the new military history approach to
armies. They are studying armies as
institutions and armies as institutions
are shaped by their function and that
function is to fight. The manner in
which armies function, their practices,
therefore have a direct bearing on
their nature, on the form of the
institution, on its requirements and
culture.
In addition to improving the
understanding of academics of
military history I believe that there are
other benefits of Practical Military
History. As a result of my museum
experience I am only too aware that
there is often a gulf between the
academic in a university and the
subject specialist curator in a
museum. The first is rarely concerned
with the material culture of war while
the second often neglects the context
of that material. The nature of military
material culture and the procedures
that employ it are inextricably linked,
each influences the other, thus
Practical Military History can bridge
that divide between academic and
curator, university and museum to the
benefit of both.
Military history today is a subject
that is frequently seen as politically
incorrect and is consequently
neglected, yet it has thousands of fans,
reenactors. Reenactors are almost by
definition most interested in military
procedure, as well as military material
culture, but they lack academic rigour
in their activities and are often not
taken seriously by academics. Yet they
are enthusiastic supporters and
advocates of military history who can
provide opportunities for practical
research as well as being enthusiastic
customers for its products.
Practical Military History is a
missing field in the study of military
history that could provide many
benefits. It is a vehicle through which
academics, curators and reenactors
could be brought together to the
benefit of all parties and the
strengthening of the position of
military history.
In concrete terms Practical
Military History has two parts, first
learning and understanding the
practices of an army in a given period
and secondly applying that knowledge
to the study of military history. For an
example of how this might work it is
convenient to consider the British
Army of the mid-18th century. As
stated above, James Wolfe considered
Military history today is a
subject that is frequently
seen as politically
incorrect and is
consequently neglected,
yet it has thousands of
fans, reenactors.
Bland’s Military Discipline as a key
work for study by any new, junior
officer. Hand in hand with this,
however, went instruction from senior
NCOs and other officers. A study of
Bland under the guidance of someone
who understands and is familiar with
its contents would provide exactly the
level of knowledge that Wolfe believed
was required. It would provide a
working knowledge of weapons, which
in turn would lead to an understanding
of why they were deployed in the way
they were. This in turn would lead to
knowledge of drill and tactics
including the correct contemporary
terminology. Such knowledge would
enable the correct interpretation of
accounts of battles and an analysis of
the actions of participants rather than
the more usual simple narrative
outcome of a study. A knowledge of
weapons would also provide a good
link into the material culture of the
period.
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In doing this Practical Military
History would improve ‘old’ military
history and be in a position to make a
contribution to the relatively new field
of battlefield archaeology and
interpretation. For example,
something as simple as understanding
how the New Model Army was paid
has already lead to an accurate
statement of that army’s strength and
thus its deployment at Naseby
(Blackmore 2003: 3; Evans 2007: 30,
58–61). It could also help the
interpretation of warfare and its
associated material culture in
museums.
In addition to a combat orientated
knowledge this sort of study would
deliver knowledge of what might be
termed the non-combat practices of
the army. This would result in a
clearer understanding of the way of
life of soldiers, how and why
campaigns were conducted as they
were. This is where Practical Military
History could have a beneficial effect
on ‘new’ military history. Most
obviously it would reveal practices that
would impact on the local people,
economy and landscape. A deeper
understanding of a soldier’s way of life
would lead to a greater level of
empathy. The social history aspect of
the army would be more easily
understood.
It would not be possible to do more
than introduce students to the concept
of Practical Military History, having, as
it does, an application to any army in
any period. However, an effective
introduction could be achieved through
the study of one army in one or two
periods where contemporary material
is readily available along with the
necessary expertise to explain it. Most
obviously, in the United Kingdom, the
English Civil Wars and the mid-18th
century suggest themselves as
possibilities. Contemporary material is
readily available through Early English
Books on Line and Eighteenth Century
Collections Online. There are a
number of English Civil War sites
ready for study, particularly Naseby
and although a little remote the
battlefields Culloden has been subject
Whether undertaken as
a part of formal
university teaching or as
adult education in
museums Practical
Military History could
only help to deepen
understanding of past
events
to considerable archaeological study in
recent years. Both sites are associated
with contrasting museum projects. In
the United Sates of America the
American War of Independence or the
American Civil War would provide
opportunities for study. The 18th
century would also provide rich
opportunities in Europe.
Whether undertaken as a part of
formal university teaching or as adult
education in museums Practical
Military History could only help to
deepen understanding of past events.
It can bring together bring together
academics, curators and re-enactors
in an alliance that could only benefit
all involved and the subject of military
history. As an approach to history that
could be applied in other fields it
offers military history the opportunity
to be at the forefront of history rather
then the poor relation that no one
talks about.
References
Blackmore D 2003 ‘Counting the New
Model Army’. Civil War Times: 58.
Leigh on Sea.
Bland H 1727 Treatise of Military
Discipline. London.
Chambers J W 1991 Conference
Review Essay: The New Military
History: Myth and Reality. The
Journal of Military History: 55, 3
(July).
Chandler D 1990 The Art of Warfare in
the age of Marlborough.
Staplehurst.
Childs J 1991 The Nine Years’ War and
the British Army, 1688–1697.
Manchester.
Evans M M 2007 Naseby 1645, The
Triumph of the New Model Army.
Oxford.
Nosworthy B 1992 The Anatomy of
Victory, Battle Tactics 1689–1763.
New York.
Nosworthy B 1997 Battle Tactics of
Napoleon and his Enemies.
London, paper back edition.
Paret P 1991 ‘The New Military
History’. In Parameters, The US
Army’s Senior Professional
Journal.
Pargellis S 1936 ‘Braddock’s Defeat’.
The American Historical Review:
41, 2 (January).
Reid S 2000 Wolfe, The Career of
General James Wolfe from
Culloden to Quebec. Staplehurst.
Tatum W P 2007 ‘Challenging the New
Military History: The Case of
Eighteenth-Century British Army
Studies’. History Compass: 5, 1.
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The medal collection of the Royal Museum
of the Armed Forces and of Military History,
Brussels
Guy Deploige
Medals collection administrator
T
he Royal Museum of the Armed
Forces and of Military History in
Brussels safeguards a very extensive
and varied heritage. One of the lesserknown sub-collections is that of the
honorary distinctions.
The collection is extremely
diversified, both chronologically and
geographically. It contains military as
well as civil distinctions attributed to
ordinary soldiers, officers or
distinguished personalities alike.
Curiously enough, an entire life can be
pieced together through these
honorary distinctions. The medals and
distinctions indeed often pinpoint
decisive steps in a career.
One of the most remarkable
ensembles – probably also the largest
one – dates back to the Napoleonic
era. Collectors refer to these items as
the Brouwet collection.
The collection is
extremely diversified,
both chronologically and
geographically. It
contains military as well
as civil distinctions
attributed to ordinary
soldiers, officers or
distinguished
personalities alike.
Right: Order of the Golden Fleece,
Austrian branch. 200045
Below left: Breast Star of Grand Cross of
the Order of Saint-Henry of Saxony from
General Reynier 1771–1814. 200120
Below right: Breast Star of Grand Cross of
the Order of Westphalia (1809–13) 200155
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The public keeps extending the
Museum’s collection in this field
through donations and gifts. The
institution then tries to identify the
beneficiary, to determine the reason
for the award and to document the
information and store the data for
future generations. Nominative
distinctions are always accepted,
regardless of the numbers of similar
distinctions the Museum might
already possess. We indeed estimate
that the Museum also has to act as a
kind of archive in this respect.
Honorary distinctions are personal
objects received for exceptional
reasons and this fully justifies their
safeguarding.
Above: Knight Cross and box of the Royal
Order of Holland (1807–08) of Baron de
Sénégra. 200161-200199
Right: Knight Cross of the Order of the Two
Sicilies (1808–09) period Joseph Bonapart.
200166
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Above: Officers Cross of the Legion of
Honour and Knight of the Iron Crown of
Italy (First French Empire) of General
Subervie. 200271
Above right: Knight Cross of the Order of
Spain (1800–14) periode Joseph Bonapart.
200176
Right: Axe of Honor (1797–1802) given to
Mr Hennequin for action near Boulogne on
15 August 1801. 200185
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The Museum also purposively
acquires pieces. In these cases we
especially focus on Belgian history and
on a Belgian link with regard to the
manufacturer, the recipient or the
jewel.
We recently bought some
significant items.
The first is a set of distinctions
belonging to Belgian Typhoon pilot
Paul ‘Polo’ Cooreman, DFC, who
served with the Royal Air Force 609
squadron from 29 October 1943 to 6
December 1944. On 3 August he was
shot down above Normandy. He is one
of the pilots claiming the air raid on
field marshal Rommel’s car on 17 July
1944 in the vicinity of the French
village of Livarot in Normandy. Paul
Cooreman was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross on 14 April
1945 and therefore belongs to the
exclusive group of Belgians having
received this exceptional distinction.
Another remarkable acquisition is
a third class knight’s cross in the
military Order of Maria Theresa
(Austria) from the 18th century,
attributed to a member of the von
Barco family. In the second half of the
18th century present-day Belgium was
part of the Austrian Netherlands and
some members of the nobility received
this special honorary distinction.
Amongst them, Charles-Joseph de
Ligne (1735–1814) and CharlesAntoine-Maximilien de Baillet
(1737–1806). The first king of the
Belgians, Leopold I, also received the
third class knighthood in that same
order in 1814, for his contributions in
the Kulm battle (1813) and during the
French military campaign (1814).
All photographs © Royal Museum of
the Army and of Military History.
Photographs: Guy Deploige
Above: RAF wing, Order of Leopold, Order
of the Crown, War Cross 40-45, Escape
Cross, Medal of POW, DFC, Defence medal,
1939–45 Star, Atlantic Star, France and
Germany Star, Aircrew Star, Medal of
Liberation (France) of Captain P.
Cooreman. 201200278-201200279
Right: Military Maria-Theresia Order.
201200418
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Les collections d’armes du Musée Royal de
Mariemont (Belgique)
Corinne Gysbergh et Arnaud Quertinmont
Service numérisation
Musée royal de Mariemont
L
e Musée royal de Mariemont
(Belgique) conserve une collection
méconnue de près de 300 armes
provenant des quatre coins du monde.
Le Musée est né de la volonté d’un
homme, Raoul Warocqué (1870-1917),
richissime homme d’affaire. Amateur
éclairé, sa passion pour les collections
l’entraîne des livres rares aux oeuvres
représentatives des grandes
civilisations d’Europe et d’Asie, à
l’histoire de sa région, le Hainaut. Il
est également très impliqué dans la
vie politique belge et dans le mécénat
culturel. Ce sont, en effet, de
véritables trésors que Raoul Warocqué
a rassemblés au cours de sa vie,
réunissant grâce à sa fortune
colossale des oeuvres convoitées par
les plus grands musées du monde. Sa
famille a acquis le domaine de
Mariemont et y fit édifier son château
peu avant 1830. Dernier de la lignée et
sans descendant, Raoul Warocqué,
toujours dans son esprit de
philanthropie et dans sa volonté
d’éducation permanente, légua son
domaine, son château et l’ensemble
de ses collections à l’État belge pour
qu’il devienne un musée. Au sein de
celui-ci, plusieurs pièces accueillaient
les armes acquises au fil du temps par
sa famille, dans les salles de ventes,
au cours de voyages ou tout
simplement reçues en cadeau. Les
pièces plus pondéreuses, comme les
canons, étaient exposées à l’extérieur,
sur la façade arrière du château.
L’incendie qui ravagea le corps de
logis le jour de Noël 1960, épargna fort
heureusement la majeure partie des
collections. Celles-ci furent dès lors
abritées dans un nouveau musée,
inauguré en 1975 et construit par
l’architecte belge Roger Bastin.
Aujourd’hui, le Musée royal de
Mariemont, seul établissement
scientifique de la Fédération WallonieBruxelles, poursuit l’oeuvre de son
fondateur par l’étude et la mise en
valeur, mais aussi l’enrichissement,
des collections qui lui sont confiées.
Le Musée s’est également investi dans
de nombreux projets pilotes dont
l’objectif est de rendre le patrimoine
culturel toujours plus accessible au
public et à la communauté
scientifique. Parmi ceux-ci, la
numérisation de pans entiers de ses
collections et la valorisation de ces
ressources de qualité grâce à leur
mise en ligne sélective et performante
tiennent une place importante. Des
milliers d’objets conservés et
inventories numériquement, la
création et le développement de trois
sites Internet majeurs pour la
compréhension d’un patrimoine
culturel riche et diversifié, la
collaboration à d’ambitieux projets
européens et internationaux, des
milliers de visiteurs sur virtuels et de
téléchargements web annuels, autant
de projets rendus possibles,
notamment, grâce à un subside
annuel de la Délégation générale à la
numérisation des patrimoines
culturels de la Fédération WallonieBruxelles, en charge de la mise en
oeuvre du Plan Pep's (Plan de
préservation et exploitation des
patrimoines).
Récemment, ce sont les
collections d’armes du Musée qui
viennent d’être numérisées. Cellesci
datent, majoritairement, des cinq
derniers siècles et proviennent du
monde asiatique, d’Afrique du Nord,
du Congo et d’Europe. Cet article se
propose de présenter quelques pieces
originales de l’ensemble numérisé, de
façon à faire connaitre une collection
méconnue conservée au Musée royal
de Mariemont.
Monde asiatique
Intéressé par les philosophies
orientales, le grand mécène de
Mariemont ramène en 1910, lors d’un
séjour en Extrême-Orient, un nombre
considérable d’oeuvres chinoises et
japonaises. Parmi celles-ci plusieurs
armes dont, notamment, des sabres
de samouraï. Si le Musée possède
plusieurs exemplaires de katana et de
wakizashi, aucun daisho (association
des deux armes) ne fut acquis par
Raoul Warocqué.
Le premier exemple présenté est
un wakizashi (sabre court) japonais
portant la signature du forgeron Gyodô
et conservé sous le n° III.I.87. Il se
présente sous la forme d’une lame
avec gorge de 43 cm (nagasa) réalisée
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n° III.I.170
n° III.I.87
en acier trempé, d’un habaki
(manchette) en cuivre, d’une garde
(tsuba) circulaire en fer et d’une
poignée en bois laqué (same)
recouvert de galuchat, et décorée d’ito
en coton brun clair. La pièce, d’une
longueur totale de 60,5 cm est
accompagnée d’un saya (fourreau) en
bois recouvert de galuchat moucheté
noir et blanc contenant un petit
couteau (kozuka) en fer. Le sageo de
coton noir est malheureusement
abîmé.
n° N.231
Long de 27,5 cm, le poignard (yoroï
toshi ?) japonais inventorié sous le n°
N.231, est un objet tout à fait
remarquable. De forme cylindrique, il
se compose de deux parties : une
lame en acier trempé de 16,4 cm et un
fourreau de 19,5 cm. La surface
extérieure offre un décor annelé. La
particularité de cette arme est de
présenter un serpent, en relief,
enroulé sur la totalité de la pièce. Une
cordelette rouge est accrochée au
fourreau.
Au sein de cette collection se
trouvent également des armes
provenant d’Inde. Ainsi ce katar, en
acier et en cuivre inventorié sous le n°
III.I.170. Ce poignard à lame large à
double tranchant mesure 47 cm de
long et est antérieur au 19e siècle. La
partie centrale de la lame présente un
décor, en incrustation dorée,
d’éléphants et de motifs végétaux. Le
manche, caractéristique de ce genre
d’arme, est muni de deux traverses de
préhension décorées des mêmes
motifs que la lame. Ce katar possède
la particularité d’être équipé d’un
mécanisme permettant, lorsqu’on
serre la paume de la main sur les
deux traverses de la poignée, de
séparer la lame en deux parties
exactement comme pourrait s’ouvrir
une paire de ciseaux, ce qui dévoile
une troisième lame, faisant alors de ce
poignard une arme redoutable. Cet
objet est conservé dans un fourreau de
bois entièrement recouvert de cuir
noir (non illustré). Ce type de poignard
a ceci de particulier que lorsqu'il est
brandi, sa lame est dans l'axe
longitudinal du bras, dont il en
constitue, en quelque sorte, le
prolongement naturel. Il permet ainsi
de porter des coups d’estoc d’une
grande puissance.
Afrique du Nord
Raoul Warocqué s’intéresse
également aux orfèvreries et
céramiques musulmanes et
orientales. Céramiques et flyssa
kabyles, fusils ottomans et étendards
religieux font ainsi également partie
de ses collections.
Les jambiyas (terme arabe
générique pour les poignards de ce
type) nord-africains, et spécialement
ceux du Maroc, se distinguent de ceux
du reste du monde musulman par leur
lame habituellement moins recourbée
et par le fait qu’elle comporte un
tranchant complet du côté de la
Articles
n° III.I.161
courbe concave. En général, il existe
un demi-tranchant (côté pointe) sur la
courbe convexe.
L’exemplaire III.I.161 fait partie de
cette catégorie d’objets. Il s’agit d’une
koummya, poignard traditionnel des
populations berbères du Maroc. D’une
longueur de 41 cm, il présente une
lame en acier courbe, ornée de deux
rectangles avec croix en diagonales
sur chaque face. La garde est une
simple manchette de fer enserrant le
haut de la lame. La poignée étroite et
le pommeau en « queue de paon »
sont en bois noir, ce dernier étant
décoré de demi-cercles en argent. Il
est également orné d’une bande de
cuivre sur sa tranche et prolongé par
une tige surmontée d’une sphère en
cuivre. Le fourreau de 28 cm est en
cuir brun foncé. Il offre un décor
repoussé de motifs géométriques sur
une seule face, et renforcé de bandes
de cuivre et de fils de cuivre tordus en
forme de boucles simples ou doubles.
Le dard du fourreau est plaqué d’une
pièce de cuivre qui remonte
partiellement sur les bords extérieurs.
Le flyssa III.I.54 est caractéristique
des populations kabyles du 19e siècle.
La lame, la poignée et le pommeau
latéral de ce « sabre » furent forgés
d’une seule et même pièce de métal
de 94 cm de long. La lame, droite,
présente un tranchant orné sur les
deux faces de divers motifs
géométriques (triangles barrés
verticalement, zigzags, chevrons)
rehaussés par endroits de cuivre. Le
n° H.36.30
manche est de section octogonale et
est entièrement gravé de motifs
géométriques dont la moitié est
plaquée de cuivre. Le pommeau, quant
à lui, adopte la forme d’une tête
d’oiseau. L’arme est accompagnée
d’un fourreau de bois (97 cm de long)
dont l’une des faces est entièrement
ornée de motifs géométriques
(zigzags, lignes ondulées, croix)
disposés en bandes longitudinales et
transversales, le tout profondément
gravé dans le bois. Cinq cerclages en
cuivre disposés à intervalles réguliers
maintiennent l’ensemble.
Congo
Raoul Warocqué s’est peu intéressé au
Congo belge, tant en terme
d’investissement industriel et
financier que d’un point de vue
purement artistique. Plusieurs objets
figurent néanmoins au sein de ses
n° III.I.54
collections. Boucliers, peaux de bêtes,
fétiches en bois, minéraux et armes
sont autant de souvenirs et de
cadeaux ramenés de voyages par ses
compatriotes ou acquis chez des
fournisseurs spécialisés comme c’est
le cas pour les ivoires sculptés.
Bien que les pointes de sagaies et
de flèches soient majoritaires, ce sont
trois objets tout à fait originaux qui
seront présentés.
Le premier est une tête de hache
d’apparat, inventoriée sous le n°
H.36.30. Cette pièce,
vraisemblablement issue de la tribu
des Songyé, mesure 27,7 cm de long
et 22,4 cm de large. La structure
principale est composée de trois tiges.
La première, droite et centrale, est
décorée d’une tête anthropomorphe
tandis que les deux tiges extérieures
s’évasent pour donner à la pièce la
forme d’un calice. Elles portent
Articles
n° H.90.16
n° H.90.19
également une tête similaire mais
cette fois-ci sur le côté extérieur. Ces
trois axes sont solidarisés à leur
sommet par une lame large et
convexe, pointue à ses extrémités.
Partant de la base, deux autres tiges
vrillées et également décorées d’une
tête humaine se solidarisent sous la
lame par un subril jeu de torsades.
Les traits du visage sont typiques de
cette tribu du Congo. Les yeux sont
des demi-cercles incisés dans le
métal, le nez est en forme de triangle,
la bouche est un simple trait
horizontal et quelques traits sont
incisés au niveau du menton.
Le tranchet en fer H.90.16 est
caractéristique des tribus
Ngbandi/Yakoma et Ngombe, raison
pour laquelle il est difficile de lui
préférer une provenance à une autre.
Seule la lame, d’une longueur de 37,3
cm, est authentique. La majeure partie
des collections congolaises de Raoul
Warocqué a souffert de l’incendie du
château familial en 1960, raison pour
laquelle les manches de ces objets
sont soit manquant, soit des
restitutions. La longe tige massive de
section triangulaire sortant du manche
se divise en deux parties qui se
rejoignent à la base de la lame. Cette
zone est décorée de petits points et de
cercles concentriques. La lame s’évase
alors, les tranchants se réunissant
assez brusquement en formant un
angle de chaque côté. Une arête
médiane, décorée de petits points,
divise la lame en deux parties obliques.
Un petit trou circulaire est placé sur la
partie sommitale de celle-ci.
Bien que traditionnellement, ce
genre de ngulu en fer soit catégorisé
en « couteau d’exécution », il est plus
vraisemblable qu’il s’agisse d’une
arme d’apparat. En effet, des objets
similaires en bois et donc non
tranchants ont également été
découverts. Caractéristique des
populations Lobala, Nzombo et
Ngbandi, ce ngulu inventorié H.90.19
et dont la lame mesure 45 cm de long,
se présente sous la forme d’une lame
en fer à deux tranchants avec une
légère arête centrale. À 25 cm de
longueur, elle se dédouble pour
former deux arcs de cercle sur le reste
de sa longueur. Au centre, la lame se
prolonge sur 5 cm donnant au ngulu
l’aspect d’un personnage aux bras
arqués au-dessus de la tête. Cette
identification anthropomorphe ne fait
cependant pas l’unanimité auprès des
chercheurs. Des chevrons sont gravés
tout le long de l'arête centrale et le
long de la courbe intérieure de l’arc de
cercle.
Europe
Le château de Mariemont, construit
peu après 1830 comportait une « salle
d’armes ».
Parmi cette incroyable collection
d’armes européennes, nous avons
choisi de mettre en avant cinq pièces
représentatives de la diversité qui la
caractérise.
De nombreuses armes à feu
étaient exposées dans la salle
d’armes, ainsi cette paire de pistolets
à silex anglais datant du 18e siècle et
munis de leur baguette écouvillon.
L’exemplaire III.I.196 provient de cette
paire. Mesurant 64 cm de long, il
présente un canon d’acier de section
ronde (diam. 1,8 cm) sur les trois
quarts de sa longueur totale, le
dernier quart, côté crosse, étant de
section octogonale. La platine de mise
à feu en acier porte, du côté du chien,
l’inscription Beckwith surmontée
d'une couronne impériale. La crosse
est entourée d’un enroulement de fil
d’argent torsadé, les garnitures de
crosse et les capucines sont en tôle
d’argent repoussée de motifs végétaux
stylisés. La crosse et l’affût sont en
chêne teinté. La baguette de
chargement est une tige d’acier (L.
40,2 cm) à garnitures d'argent.
Les épées, rapières et autres
fleurets constituaient le noyau des
collections présentées. L’un des plus
beaux exemplaires est sans conteste
la schiavone III.I.75 datant du 16e ou
17e siècle et provenant d’Italie (Venise
?). La lame en acier, de 91,5 cm, est
droite et à deux tranchants. Un léger
ricasso est présent sous la garde et
une gouttière d’allègement court
depuis ce ricasso jusqu’au quart de la
lame. La poignée de bois est
entièrement recouverte d’un fil de fer
torsadé alternant avec un fil de fer
brut. La garde et le pommeau sont
ornés d’une virole de fer. Le pommeau
offre la forme caractéristique d’une
schiavone, c’est-à-dire s’évasant
comme un pavillon de trompette et
muni, en finale, d’une pièce de métal
trilobée. La garde en métal,
enveloppant toute la main, est
constituée de nombreux quillons lui
donnant la forme d’un panier. La
longueur totale de cette pièce est de
n° III.I.196
Articles
n° III.I.75
n° III.I.148
n° III.I.75
106 cm. Le fourreau a
malheureusement disparu.
D’autres armes, provenant des
quatre coins de l’Europe, constituaient
également une partie importante de
cette collection. C’est le cas d’un
étonnant dirk écossais du 19e siècle,
inventorié III.I.138 et composé de
quatre parties. Tout d’abord un
fourreau de bois recouvert de cuir noir
(32,5 cm de long). Celui-ci se divise en
trois compartiments distincts et
superposés de tiers en tiers.
L’embouchure du fourreau est cerclée
d’une large virole d’argent ornée d'une
n° III.I.138
croix trilobée et d’un écusson (vide) au
centre. Les embouchures des autres
compartiments portent de semblables
viroles, décorées de même, mais
l’écusson est remplacé par un damier
circulaire. Le dard de fourreau est
orné à l’identique et se termine en
boule. Vient ensuite une dague en
acier chromé de 29,5 cm, à lame
triangulaire à tranchants, le reste du
dos de la lame étant cranté. Elle
présente une gorge longitudinale, de
longueur égale à la partie crantée, sur
chaque face. La poignée est en bois
sculpté de fins sillons entrecroisés. La
garde est remplacée par une virole
d’argent gravée d’ellipses contenant
une croix trilobée. Le pommeau est
cerclé d’une virole d’argent ornée d’un
motif en zigzag. Un cabochon
circulaire en verroterie blanche coiffe
son sommet. Les deux derniers
éléments composant cet ensemble
sont une fourchette à deux dents et un
petit couteau dont la lame, crantée,
est brisée. Tous deux sont en bois
sculpté comme celui de la dague et
coiffé d’un cabochon identique.
Le kindjal est une arme
traditionnelle du Caucase. Le mot
vient d’ailleurs du russe et sert à
désigner un poignard, quel qu’en soit
le type. Utilisé à la fois comme arme
et comme outil, il constitue un
élément majeur du costume
traditionnel des hommes de cette
région. Dans le cas qui nous occupe,
ce poignard typique présente une lame
droite à deux tranchants, comportant
une gouttière d’allègement,
emmanchée dans une poignée en os
ou en bois. C’est en ce sens que le
kindjal III.I.148 (longueur totale 34,5
cm), provenant vraisemblablement de
Géorgie, est caractéristique de cette
région. Sa lame (22 cm) est droite et
présente deux tranchants. Deux
gorges longitudinales sont aménagées
au centre de la lame, sur chacune des
faces. La lame est également décorée
de motifs végétaux damasquinés. La
poignée, la garde et le pommeau sont
faits d’un seul tenant constitué de
plaques d’os rivés directement sur la
soie de la pièce. Le fourreau (long de
23 cm) qui accompagne la pièce est en
bois, recouvert sur le tiers central de
sa longueur de velours violet. Un tiers
du fourreau est cerclé d’une longue
virole de cuivre gravée d’un côté d'un
médaillon en losange renfermant une
inscription. Le dard de fourreau,
également en cuivre, occupe le dernier
tiers de la pièce. Il est orné sur
chaque face d’un médaillon en
losange renfermant un trèfle.
C’est donc une grande variété
d’origines, de formes et d’usages qui
caractérise la collection d’armes
léguée par Raoul Warocqué. Celle-ci
témoigne, à qui en douterait encore,
de la curiosité et de l’intérêt portés
par ce grand mécène aux cultures et
patrimoines des différentes
civilisations mondiales.
Mentions légales : toutes les images
sont © Musée royal de Mariemont
sauf la
photographique qui appartient à une
collection privée
Articles
Arms and armour in Shropshire museums
Robert Smith, Ruth Brown and Guy Wilson
I
n the last issue of the MAGAZINE,
Guy Wilson wrote a short tribute to
Jeremy Hall who died last year.
Jeremy was the photographer at the
Royal Armouries for many years and
produced many iconic images of the
collections. He retired from the
Armouries in 1996 and he and his
family moved back to their family
home just outside Ludlow in
Shropshire, England. During his
retirement he and his wife Jane,
started to catalogue the collection of
arms and armour in the museum in
Ludlow. Over the next few years
Jeremy photographed many of the
pieces and, together, they started to
gather together the information of
each piece that would form the basis
for a catalogue. Unfortunately
Working on the collection in Ludlow Resource Centre.
Jeremy’s untimely death led to the
project coming to a halt. However,
while travelling to his funeral, we
decided to offer to continue the work
and publish the catalogue in memory
of Jeremy and the work he did at the
Armouries and in his home town over
many years. We returned to Ludlow in
autumn 2011 and put our plan to Jane
and the staff at Ludlow Museum. The
idea was enthusiastically approved and
we are now planning a catalogue and
publication of the arms and armour
collections not only in Ludlow but in
Shrewsbury Museum as well. Since
late 2011 we have visited the collection
and have completed the remaining
photography and started documenting
the pieces.
The collections come from the two
main museums in Shropshire, Ludlow
and Shrewsbury. Both towns are
medieval in origin and both have
museums which were founded in the
19th century. Their collections of arms
and armour are primarily the
accumulations of materials, mainly
donations and gifts, over the past
century and a half and there with little
coherent collecting policy. The result
is a mixture of important pieces
together with the more mundane and
plain with a small number of oriental
pieces.
The collection is varied and ranges
in date from the Bronze Age to the
Second World War. There are a few
interesting pieces of armour, two fine
Wrexham bucklers , some good 17th
century fighting swords, a varied
collection of spurs, some 17th century
English crossbows and a number of
interesting firearms. The guns include
a mid-17th century English dog lock
musket, a shotgun by Alexander
Forsyth with his percussion scent
bottle lock, a fine flintlock shotgun by
Manton, a rare single barrelled
shotgun by Ezekiel Baker with two
locks that work simultaneously to fire
the charge in the barrel, and a fine
cased Adams self-cocking revolver.
We are now working, together with
a number of colleagues, on the
collection and hope to produce the
catalogue in late 2013.
Articles
Early 17th century English sporting
crossbow.
We returned to Ludlow in autumn 2011 and put our
plan to Jane and the staff at Ludlow Museum. The
idea was enthusiastically approved and we are now
planning a catalogue and publication of the arms
and armour collections not only in Ludlow but in
Shrewsbury Museum as well.
Mid-15th century rowel spur.
Late 15th century pollaxe.
Articles
Shotgun made by Alexander Forsyth with
his percussion scent bottle lock.
Articles
Cased Adams Model 1851 self-cocking revolver by
Deane Adams & Deane, about 1854
A rare single barrelled flintlock shotgun
with two locks by Ezekiel Baker
Articles
British basket-hilted sword,
early 17th century
Matchlock jezail, Afghan, 19th century
Kris, probably from Java
Articles
The Camel: Oman’s secret weapon
Ruth Rhynas Brown
W
ith its 1,700 kilometre long
coastline, mountains and deserts
and its varied climate – the drier north
and the monsoon south – Oman is rich
in animal, bird and marine life; one of
our most delightful memories of
Oman is of crabs scuttling along the
strand while dolphins bobbed in the
sea behind on coast near Salala.
Oman has a number of important
conservation initiatives for endangered
species such as the Arabian leopard
and the white oryx. You will be lucky to
be able to see any of these rare
beasts, but one of the most impressive
animals you are very likely to meet is
the camel, walking with its distinctive
stately gait or nibbling fastidiously on
some roadside bush. Camel herds are
more common in the south but they
can still be found in the north, near
Muscat and Nizwa, too. Omani camels
are of medium size; the camels of the
southern region of Dhofar are usually
black while camels from the north are
lighter in colour.
The Omani camel is the one-hump
dromedary, first domesticated in the
southern part of the Arabia about 4,000
years ago. It is a myth that the camel
stores water in its hump; instead this is
a useful reservoir of fatty tissue.
Camels are well equipped by nature to
cope with life in the hostile environment
of the desert; their bodies are able to
withstand severe changes in body
temperature which would kill other
creatures, while their thick coats shield
them from the heat and they can lose
much of their body weight and still
survive. Their long eyelashes and the
hairs round their ears and nostrils help
keep out sand and that distinctive gait
and their wide hooves enable them to
walk across sands without sinking. Their
mouths are strong enough to chew
thorny desert plants and they can draw
moisture from greenery. Their average
life expectancy is 40 to 50 years.
Camels were domesticated for
travel and transportation of people and
goods. The Queen of Sheba is said to
have travelled by camel from her lands
in southern Oman to the court of King
Articles
Solomon. For much of Oman’s terrain,
particularly the Rub' al Khali (the Empty
Quarter) in the interior, camels are still
a practical transport, both for humans
and for goods and the possession of
camel herds were a source of status
and wealth. Camels also supply food:
camel milk, rich in vitamins, is a staple
of the Bedu diet and can also be made
into a yoghurt drink, while the carcass
also provides a variety of halal meats
and cuts for nomads.
The camel is often associated with
the Bedu, nomads who live in the
Arabian Deserts. Wilfred Thesiger in
his classic, Arabian Sands, describes
the mutual love between the Bedu and
their camels, noting how they could
identify not only types, but even
individual camels from their tracks in
the sand. In the evenings his guides
often talked for hours round the fire
about favourite camels and their
habits and pedigrees.
Here every man knew the
individual tracks of his own camels,
and some of them could remember
the tracks of nearly every camel they
had seen. They could tell at a glance
from the depth of the footprints
whether a camel was ridden or free,
and whether it was in calf. By studying
strange tracks they could tell the area
from which the camel came. (Thesiger
2007: 66)
Camels were used in war; warriors
wielded spears, bows or guns from
Camels are well equipped
by nature to cope with life
in the hostile environment
of the desert; their bodies
are able to withstand
severe changes in body
temperature which would
kill other creatures
their backs, better adapted to the
sandy terrain than horses, once the
military saddled had been developed.
They were deployed as early as 853 BC
in the Battle of Qargar and continued
in use in Arabian warfare through the
centuries. They could also be used to
transport stores; even in the 20th
century, camel trains were being used
to smuggle in weapons.
Camel racing is still a popular
sport in Oman. They can reach speeds
of up 64 kilometres per hour on
specially built tracks where races are
held regularly. In Oman, the Royal
Camels Unit is responsible for all
aspects related to the breeding, care,
nutrition, health, training, and taming
of camels belonging to His Majesty.
In the museums you will also see
items connected with the camel.
These include colourfully woven and
embroidered saddle cloths and bags,
saddles and specially developed guns
for shooting from atop camels.
Finally you will be able to take
home your own souvenir of Oman’s
camel culture. Even today you will still
Omani drivers with car keys decorated
with elaborately woven straps and
sparkling fringes and tassels, the
descendents of the colourful
traditional trappings of the camel.
They are still made and sold by Bedu
women; every time you unlock your
car you will be reminded of the camels
of Oman.
Wilfred Thesiger: Arabian Sands.2007
(Penguin Classics).

issue 09 (High resolution) Februari 2012 (PDF

Transcription

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