Just got back from Louisville and a visit to the Frazier with my son. It was something for us to do on day two of my wife's Indiana casino trip. I hate gambling, took too many statistics classes over the years, but my wife loves to donate money to them. Although this time it was better than usual since we (my son and I) got chased by skunks when we went jogging on the golf course at night. exhilarating stuff!! :D

Anyway, about Louisville and the Frazier.

The museum holds a fairly extensive collection of arms and armor (I hope it grows). The collection should delight any anglophile since everything is focussed on England or America. The museum has some kind of affiliation with Leeds. the collection really starts at Norman conquest and ends with Teddy Roosevelt, and tries to touch most of the major conflicts in between. Basically there will be a display, numerous signs explaining things, and one or two well done films of the events in question (not sure if they were produced for the Frazier or are something off the shelf). Sometimes displays would have some kind of live interpretation going on with them; there was a live something show someplace in the building every 30 minutes.

The Frazier appears to be part of a revitalization of Louisville's downtown. The city is nice and the downtown is very easy to get around in, by foot and by car. They have a new ballpark, a new Louisville Slugger museum, new arts stuff, and a big science center all within a couple of blocks of each other, WITH adequate cheap parking (some of the stuff may not be technically new, but its newish at least). IMO there's enough to fill several days with the family in the area.

I shot all the pictures my memory sticks would hold and I'll start posting them over the next few days. Unfortunately some are not going to come out since they would not allow flash photography (no surprise) and much of the lighting is low. Hopefully I'll be able to give a feel for the place and the collection. Maybe even convince a few morepeople to make a visit.

This is perhaps 20% of the photos I took. Many did not come out because of the low lighting levels. I've been playing around trying to get others to look better, but my photography talents are sorely lacking.

The first floor of the museum is full of special firearms and displays, gift shop, and welcome center. Second floor goes roughly from American pre-colonial to Spanish American War (US Focus). Third floor is roughly Hastings to the Vistorian Colonial conflicts (UK focus).

I am going to try to arrange picures roughly in sequence, starting on the third floor of the museum, which is what I was most interested in.

---

 Attachment: 75 KB

Norman Knight - interpretation

 Attachment: 110.62 KB

Norman Foot - interpretation

 Attachment: 87.23 KB

Towton - interpretation

This group is some shots of pieces in the collection. The German Longsword is in amazing condition and has some interesting etching on the blade. I have no idea what it is, but I did get a shot of it. Most, but not all, of the pieces in the collection have embelishments of some kind.

Please note there are several displays that I could not get decent shots of due to lighting issues. Mail (which is a shame), stirrups, arrows/bolts.

---

 Attachment: 68.87 KB

Daggers

 Attachment: 93.78 KB

Swords

 Attachment: 102.3 KB

Archer montage

 Attachment: 92.53 KB

Pole arms

 Attachment: 74.5 KB

German 16th century Longsword inscription

 Attachment: 84.72 KB

First of many armor shots.

I have many more pitcures that I'm going to post but I have to clean them up first. I'll continue to add pictures as time allows this weekend.

Very cool, Joe! You should upload them in the photo album section!

Thanks so much Joe! The Frazier isn't so very far away and I've been meaning to go... maybe this will be some added incentive...

Cool Joe. Keep 'em coming.......


Bill

Here are a few more....this time mainly sowrds and tournament armor.

---

 Attachment: 69.21 KB

Look familiar?

 Attachment: 92.92 KB

Brigandine

 Attachment: 75.82 KB

Another sword

 Attachment: 70.25 KB

German Longsword

And some lances.

---

 Attachment: 73.95 KB

Armor

 Attachment: 88.82 KB

Lances

Is that THE "German Branch Sword?"

A few more photos, starting to move along chronologically a bit with the collection.

---

 Attachment: 120.92 KB

More armor

 Attachment: 105.31 KB

More swordage

 Attachment: 101.41 KB

Don't know what this one is, but its neat.

 Attachment: 92.44 KB

Halberd, a very distinctive piece

Some more armor and more pole weapons this round.

Might be about half the pictures I took now.

---

 Attachment: 90.22 KB

A very nice partial plate. I think this may have been for foot combat over a barrier in the list but I really don't remember for certain.

 Attachment: 89.55 KB

Same suit from the side

 Attachment: 88.94 KB

Katz

 Attachment: 86.18 KB

Polearms

 Attachment: 75.84 KB

Daggers

Joe;

Those are too cool! Thanks for posting those, it sure whets my appetite for more!

Gotta figure a way to make it back through to good old "Lawaville" one of these days to visit.

Cheers!

Gordon

A few odds and ends. English Civil War bits. Early American bits.

---

 Attachment: 99.5 KB

A nice rapier

 Attachment: 105 KB

Hanger?

 Attachment: 86.99 KB

English civil war

 Attachment: 90.77 KB

Spanish?

Scottland to Napoleon (or just about).

---

 Attachment: 90.72 KB

Scotts and Redcoats...apparently the colors in this made me have to go smaller.

 Attachment: 86.14 KB

Pistols and basket hilts

 Attachment: 114.08 KB

Muskets

 Attachment: 100.83 KB

Sabers

Joe, thank you so much for posting these!!

I can confirm that many of these items (including the "German Branch Sword" mentioned above) belong to The Royal Armouries, Leeds and were formerly at the Tower of London. Many can be seen in Duffy's European Swords and Daggers in the Tower of London.

There are some pieces here that are amongst my all-time favorites.


I hope you'll consider uploading them to our photo albums, too. If so, I'll make a special album to house them.

If you don't have broadband and you you'd rather me do it, I can take care of it and will add your copyright notice.

Oh, MAN! Now I HAVE to go visit the Frazier! YIKES! Those displays are WAY too COOL!

Roundway Down... Sir Arthur Hasslerigge "Properly vittled and provisioned, he could have withstood a siege of several months", according to King Charles. The bullet didn't penetrate the helmet, btw.

The work and detail that went into that single showcase must have been phenominal. I am VERY impressed, needless to say. From my brief look at the photo, every detail looks to be just so...

Thanks for posting those, Joe, those are great pictures! And please do upload them to the site, they're definitely worth going back to over and over.

Cheers!

Gordon

---

 Attachment: 86.99 KB

Thanks for posting these Joe! These definitely need to go into a photo album.

I had thought of visiting Louisville when I first saw the Frazier's website, now it's a must!