Galleries
When visitors first enter the museum building they are greeted with a tableau of two mounted figures: an armoured medieval knight saluting a US Cavalry trooper of the mid-19th century, a representation of this Anglo-American joint venture.
From here they are advised to start their tour with the Royal Armouries galleries on floor 3 before proceeding to the American galleries on Floor 2.
The Royal Armouries galleries on floor 3 of the Frazier International History Museum, Louisville provides two things: an introduction to the ancient and massive collections of the Royal Armouries and an introduction to the more focused displays of the rest of the Frazier museum that concentrates on the use of arms and armour in US history.
Both are achieved by giving a general overview of the development and use of arms and armour in Europe and European colonies. This overview has been made exciting for a US audience, who may not know much of the story, by means of:
- cased objects
- graphic images mostly sourced from the extensive collections of the Royal Armouries
- realistic tableaux
- films
- interactive computer programmes
- live demonstrations by highly trained costumed interpreters.
In future other objects of the Royal Armouries collections, some rarely seen by the public, will be displayed on a rotating basis.