Victory Park
1201 N. Pershing Ave.
Stockton, CA  95203
(209) 940-6300   
info@hagginmuseum.org

"Maximilian" field armor of Southern Germany (Nuremberg), c. 1525-30.

The exhibition is drawn from the rich collections of the Higgins Armory Museum in Massachusetts, the only museum in the United States dedicated to armor. It represents the first time that a substantial portion of the Higgins collection has gone on tour.

Overall, some five dozen artifacts will be on display, including breastplates, helmets, horse armor, and various other armor elements. The pieces range from a simple yet elegant infantryman’s breastplate from the hammer of master craftsmen in Milan to elaborately etched and gilded elements of horse armor from Southern Germany.

But the centerpieces are seven suits of armor (four full suits, two three-quarter suits, and one half suit) ranging from the early sixteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century, including some of the most admired pieces from the Higgins’ current displays.

Armor can be viewed from multiple perspectives: as fashion, as defensive material, as hollow sculpture, or as evidence of metallurgy and the history of an industry.
The exhibition takes advantage of these facets. It provides an overview of the history of personal armor, hearkening as far back as the Trojan War, but focusing on plate armor’s classical age, from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance. It also illustrates its uses, and examines the skills needed to shape and decorate the metal into functional or fashionable suits of armor.

Its showing here in Stockton is part of a four-year, 17-city national tour developed and managed by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services.

OPENING RECEPTION
Saturday, May 6, 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Reservations Required: $50 members; $60 non-members

The Junior Women’s Group, well-known for their biennial Christmas Party, will host an elegant evening reception to open the Age of Armor exhibition on Saturday, May 6, 6-9 p.m. Attendees will be the first to see the impressive collection.

Reservations are required and invitations will be mailed to members. Contact Merylene Marengo at (209) 940-6311 or AdminAssistant@hagginmuseum.org.

CHIVALRY AND KNIGHTS OF OLD: Age of Armor Family Festival
Saturday, May 13, 1:30-4:00 p.m.
Free with regular museum admission

A mix of performances, demonstrations, and hands-on art activites will introduce children and adults to the life and times of Medieval and Renaissance Knights. More Info >>

MUSEUM INFORMATION
The Haggin Museum is located in Stockton's Victory Park, 1201 N. Pershing Ave., and is open Wednesday-Sunday, 1:30-5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults 18 and up; $2.50 for youth ages 10-17, students with a valid I.D., and seniors 65 and over; and free for museum members and children under 10 accompanied by an adult. Admission is free to all visitors on the first Saturday of every month.

Free docent-led tours may be booked in advance by contacting Susan Benedetti at (209) 940-6315 or sbenedetti@hagginmuseum.org. For disabled access, call ahead at (209) 940-6311 or 940-6317.

The Museum Store is open Wednesday-Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m.