From the Wallace site:

The Collection is already committed to a number of multimedia initiatives involving collections information and images which include the production of a high quality European Arms and Armour CD-Rom and a number of web based eLearning packages.

Dear All,

I thought I might jump in at this point and give something of an inside (if informal) update on arms and armour goings on at the Wallace Collection. We are very busy and I assure you I am working hard to make this important collection more accessible than ever. So, here is a brief summary of what is going on:

European Arms and Armour Photography Project:

For the past two years we have been busy photographing every object in the European Armouries. We are still hard at it, but theoretically this huge project will be complete by the end of September 2007. I am currently supervising photography of helmets- all the edged weapons are done, and we will soon be moving on to complete armours. Once the project is complete we will have incredibly detailed photography of every last spring-catch and pommel button in Hertford House.

Other Photography Points

I should mention that photography in the galleries of the Wallace Collection is now permitted, provided you sign in at the security desk and obtain the appropriate badge (free).

Obviously once we are entirely digital costs for official images should go way down. Way down.

Publications

Obviously the big photo project should lead to new publications. It is somewhat hard to say what will happen for certain, but at this point I am developing a book along the lines of '100 treasures from the European Arms and Armour Collection'. This will basically involve (I hope) a double-page spread for each treasure, made up of a full page image and a page of text, the latter also featuring a contextual image of some sort (a portrait that depicts the object or one like it, the object appear in a contemporary sketch book, related piece in another collection, or just a comparative image from a manuscript or something).

In the back of this book we hope to include a DVD-Rom that includes multiple images of every object in the collection, plus a summary description and notes by yours truly, plus PDFs or something like of all previous catalogues and publications, all the way back to Laking.

BUT, both the book and the DVD depend on dedicated funding coming from private donors, grants, etc. I am working hard to continue to attract major private support for this very important project, and hopefully it will all work out.

As a shameless personal plug aside, I noticed a query about my new book on the Glasgow collection: you can order it by e-mailing the Glasgow head of publications- susan.pacitti@cls.glasgow.gov.uk . I hope everybody likes it.

Special Exhibitions

Sword people out there might be interested to know that we are planning a special exhibition on swords and swordsmanship, featuring not only some very special swords but also many important works from the Lord Howard de Walden collection of fencing books and manuscripts, currently in the care of the Wallace Collection.

Oriental Arms and Armour

Not really my area, as we have a separate Curator for the non-European armour and weapons, but I thought I could just mention that we are beginning the very long re-cataloguing process for this part of the collection. We have never had a dedicated Oriental curator before and so very little work has been done in this area. But of course it sorely needs to be done. Laking's 1913 catalogue is now very, very out of date and the whole thing needs to be entirely reappraised. So you may not see anything new on the Oriental front for a while, but we are on the case.

Must dash; competing in a joust in SW Wales tomorrow morning, and right now I am in Warwickshire!

Yours sincerely,

Toby Capwell

We are indeed honoured.

This is all wonderful news. :)

I look forward to the book being published. I had not heard that photography is now permitted. I am already checking my calender to see when I can next go to London. Wife and children permitting of course!

As for your Glasgow book, I had already ordered it form amazon.co.uk. However they take up to 6 weeks to deliver, so I may consider cancelling that and ordering it directly from Susan Pacitti.

Dr. Capwell,
Thank you so much for the information. It's really nice to have some participation from the museum community on our little site. Thanks again and best wishes on the endeavors you spelled out.

I'm looking forward to the future publications.

Chad

Dr. Capwell,

I will echo Chad's thanks. It is nice to know both about all the upcoming projects you are working on and also that pictures are now able to be taken. Like I said before, I have no problem buying pictures, but when I inquired at the gift shop they told me the only availible pictures were those in the shop. I think I will have to drop in soon, I need to go and find some documents that way in the near future. Baker Street is not a far stop away.... relitively.

Good luck with the jousts. I hope it goes well. Congratulations for your recent win in Leeds by the way.

RPM

Hey Sean!

I took a few photos of that sword, two closeups of the grip. PM me your direct address, these photos cannot be placed for public access. Kinda short on time this week though so please be patient.

TTFN,

Kel

Here's a preview of the kind of thing (in much higher resolution though) that you will be seeing in the 2008 DVD/book. Sean may have a special interest in this particular piece...

Toby

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Correction: In my original notes for A477 I wrote that its qullion block lacks the reproduction's triangular downward swelling. In fact, A477's quillon block has that feature but lacks the median ridge of the reproduction's quillon block. I misinterpreted my notes and memory, and that is the great value of photography in this research.

I've just received my copy of Dr.Capwell's new book, having ordered it at his suggestion from Glasgow with a very quick service. I have to say I'm impressed....very impressed. There's a wonderful 2 page spread of Tobias armouring up that's a joy to look over.


it's just a shame that a larger book with even more pretty things wasn't available in a similar style!!!