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Higgins Armory Museum | |
| Steelman John Woodman Higgins made steel in Worcester MA. He wanted to know how medieval armorers made such excellent steel, so he collected their work. | ||
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That Worcester, Massachusetts should have one of the world's great collections of medieval arms and armor, is not as odd as it may seem. The ingenious Yankees who lived in 19th-century Worcester were fascinated by machinery, and thus deeply involved with metallurgy. John Woodman Higgins (1874-1961), co-owner (with his father) of the Worcester Pressed Steel Company, was one of these. It didn't take much for him to have a lifelong fascination with historic arms and armor. Numbering over 100 magnificent suits of armor, true works of art, his collection includes helmets from ancient Greece and Rome, elegant Renaissance armor from Germany and France, mounted jousting tournament figures, even armor made for children and for dogs. Woodman constructed a museum building specially for his collection. It opened in 1931. Among the museum's most popular exhibits is the Quest Gallery, with hands-on exhibits, including replica armor and "castle clothing" you can try on for fun. In March 2013, the Higgins announced that for budgetary reasons its collection would be moved from the armory building to an exhibit hall at the Worcester Art Museum. The move may be completed in 2014. Higgins Armory Museum
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