Swords in Boston?

celtan · 10th September 2009, 06:47 PM

Any museums with antique weapon exhibits in Boston, MS, or nearby??

Rick · 10th September 2009, 08:41 PM

Higgins Armory, in Worcester . (pronounced woostah here)

There are probably some at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem .

Both would require public transportation or a rental car .

The bus terminal is at South Station in the city .

Antique stores are mostly around Beacon Hill :
http://boston.citysearch.com/listing...ues/20500_3850

Museum of Fine Art :
http://www.mfa.org/collections/sub.a...=22&subkey=117

M ELEY · 11th September 2009, 03:40 AM

-Check out the U.S.S. Constitution Museum for an assortment of naval weapons and a few ethno pirate swords.
-Also, in the John Quincy Adams Marketplace, one of the 3 buildings has a military recruitment center with a pretty cool museum featuring guns, swords, munitions, etc.
-The Old State House also has a few weapons of the Rev War era (as well as some pretty cool historical objects, like the original tea from the Boston Tea Party!)

Rick mentioned the Peabody Museum. I couldn't make it there on my brief visit-

. I'm told the whaling memoribilia, harpoons, relics from the horrid wreck of the Essex (the Nantucket whaler was rammed/sunk by an enraged sperm whale forcing the crew to abandon ship. After many months at sea and acts of cannibalism to survive, some made it home. Great book about it- "In the Heart of the Sea" highly recommended. This is where Melville got his idea for Moby Dick and Coleridge inspiration for Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner).
Enjoy your trip! It's a great, historical city. Near Boston Common, you can see early grave stones with skull and crossbones. This symbol, originating from tomb markers such as these, were the inspirations for pirates who used the Jolly Roger as a warning to their prey to surrender or die.

A Senefelder · 11th September 2009, 04:14 AM

In Faneuil Hall is the museum/library of The Ancient Honourable Artillery Company which was founded in 1638 and has been in continuos (sp) service since ( its the oldest military unit in the US ) and has and array of items from its years of service, from the XVII century to the present, trophies from every where its served. There are some items of armour and edged weapons included. Enjoy, I love Boston!

KuKulzA28 · 11th September 2009, 06:32 AM

Boston is a great area. I go there every now and then when free. The restaurants are good too. If you want to see some modern ethnographic weapons, just head to South Boston or Chinatown, where Irish and Chinese thugs still practice the ancient art of ass kicking.

...as in BANG BANG BANG at night... The Peabody Museum in Cambridge (Harvard) has very little in the way of swords... but a lot on Native American and Oceanic cultures. There's all sorts of Pacific Island clubs, adz, spears, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Higgins Armory, in Worcester . (pronounced woostah here)

Yup... you could probably spell it Wusta and people here would get it.

celtan · 11th September 2009, 05:43 PM

Hi Guys, Thanks for the pointers!

I'm more into european guns and blades.

I already had the Faneuille Artillery Museum and the Constitution in my sights, I own a rare 1860 Navy Officer Cutlass, and I'm told they have a couple on exhibition at Ole Ironsides.

Best

: )

Quote:

Originally Posted by KuKulzA28

Boston is a great area. I go there every now and then when free. The restaurants are good too. If you want to see some modern ethnographic weapons, just head to South Boston or Chinatown, where Irish and Chinese thugs still practice the ancient art of ass kicking.

...as in BANG BANG BANG at night... The Peabody Museum in Cambridge (Harvard) has very little in the way of swords... but a lot on Native American and Oceanic cultures. There's all sorts of Pacific Island clubs, adz, spears, etc.

Yup... you could probably spell it Wusta and people here would get it.

celtan · 11th September 2009, 05:47 PM

Hi Rick,

In VA, they have another Gloucester, which they also pronounce Glostáh. And I seem to recall that in Illinois, Mother/Father were also pronounced Moddah/Faddah...

I don't recall swords in the MoFA from my last visit, do they have some now?

I'd like to visit Same, so I'll be in the lookout for the PEM.

Best

M

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick

Higgins Armory, in Worcester . (pronounced woostah here)

There are probably some at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem .

Both would require public transportation or a rental car .

The bus terminal is at South Station in the city .

Antique stores are mostly around Beacon Hill :
http://boston.citysearch.com/listing...ues/20500_3850

Museum of Fine Art :
http://www.mfa.org/collections/sub.a...=22&subkey=117

Rick · 11th September 2009, 09:27 PM

For European Arms I'd suggest the Higgins Armory in Worcester is worth a side trip; Google it.

http://www.higgins.org/

Dmitry · 17th September 2009, 06:33 PM

An hour's train ride south of Boston, Providence's Brown University holds a sizeable collection of various British swords, donated by Cyril Mazansky, author of the volume on British basket-hilted swords. It's within walking distance of the train station.
You could also visit my vast collection, as I live nearby.

PS - USS Consitution and the neighboring Museum are a MUST!

celtan · 17th September 2009, 11:22 PM

Ach! Got this info too late, just arrived from Boston. Thanks for your kind offer, though. I'll keep these tidbits for my next visit.

I made it to both the Constitution's Museum, and Faneuil's Hall.The latter was closed, but since I'm an NPS-VIP, one of the caretakers graciously showed me the collection himself. The place is currently being administered by the NPS.

Regretfully, the sword collection was kept in a separate, out-of-bounds room, and an exception could not be made, so I only got to see them from a distance. They were mostly 19th C, and a couple early 20th C. The flintlock guns were simply too far away to ascertain any details, covered in some black film, and I couldn't get close either. They had a couple of the infamous Chauchats, and several Water-cooled early Tripod-Mounted Machine guns. A few six-shooters, all in very good state of conservation. All-in-all, a nice play to visit, the antique wood smell of the Hall brought me good memories from my school-years in IL. : )

Regarding the Constitution Museum: Also a very nice place to visit. There were some early cutlasses similar to the British 1804-05, and several flintlock small weapons, plus a small swivel Carronade. All being very good cared-for. A couple cannon replicas in kid sized dioramas, including their flintlock-type triggers. Very nice place, specially for children. It has several "inmersion" rooms where they are surrounded by 18th C every-day items and painted life size cut-outs of famous period characters, helping them "feel" the times. It also shows the how and why of period technology, in an interactive way that kids can internalize the concepts. Regretfully, I was not allowed to take any photo of the items.

I was told there were supossed to have some Officer model M-1860 USN Cutlases in display, but no such good luck.

Sadly, I was not able to find enough time to visit Worcester. Next Time, I guess!

Best regards

Manolo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmitry

An hour's train ride south of Boston, Providence's Brown University holds a sizeable collection of various British swords, donated by Cyril Mazansky, author of the volume on British basket-hilted swords. It's within walking distance of the train station.
You could also visit my vast collection, as I live nearby.

PS - USS Consitution and the neighboring Museum are a MUST!

10th September 2009, 06:47 PM	#1
celtan Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: PR, USA Posts: 679	Swords in Boston? Any museums with antique weapon exhibits in Boston, MS, or nearby??

10th September 2009, 08:41 PM	#2
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,293	Higgins Armory, in Worcester . (pronounced woostah here) There are probably some at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem . Both would require public transportation or a rental car . The bus terminal is at South Station in the city . Antique stores are mostly around Beacon Hill : http://boston.citysearch.com/listing...ues/20500_3850 Museum of Fine Art : http://www.mfa.org/collections/sub.a...=22&subkey=117 Last edited by Rick; 10th September 2009 at 09:22 PM.

11th September 2009, 09:27 PM	#8
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,293	For European Arms I'd suggest the Higgins Armory in Worcester is worth a side trip; Google it. http://www.higgins.org/ Last edited by Rick; 11th September 2009 at 10:07 PM.

11th September 2009, 03:40 AM	#3
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,097	-Check out the U.S.S. Constitution Museum for an assortment of naval weapons and a few ethno pirate swords. -Also, in the John Quincy Adams Marketplace, one of the 3 buildings has a military recruitment center with a pretty cool museum featuring guns, swords, munitions, etc. -The Old State House also has a few weapons of the Rev War era (as well as some pretty cool historical objects, like the original tea from the Boston Tea Party!) Rick mentioned the Peabody Museum. I couldn't make it there on my brief visit- . I'm told the whaling memoribilia, harpoons, relics from the horrid wreck of the Essex (the Nantucket whaler was rammed/sunk by an enraged sperm whale forcing the crew to abandon ship. After many months at sea and acts of cannibalism to survive, some made it home. Great book about it- "In the Heart of the Sea" highly recommended. This is where Melville got his idea for Moby Dick and Coleridge inspiration for Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner). Enjoy your trip! It's a great, historical city. Near Boston Common, you can see early grave stones with skull and crossbones. This symbol, originating from tomb markers such as these, were the inspirations for pirates who used the Jolly Roger as a warning to their prey to surrender or die.

11th September 2009, 04:14 AM	#4
A Senefelder Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 214	In Faneuil Hall is the museum/library of The Ancient Honourable Artillery Company which was founded in 1638 and has been in continuos (sp) service since ( its the oldest military unit in the US ) and has and array of items from its years of service, from the XVII century to the present, trophies from every where its served. There are some items of armour and edged weapons included. Enjoy, I love Boston!

17th September 2009, 06:33 PM	#9
Dmitry Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 607	An hour's train ride south of Boston, Providence's Brown University holds a sizeable collection of various British swords, donated by Cyril Mazansky, author of the volume on British basket-hilted swords. It's within walking distance of the train station. You could also visit my vast collection, as I live nearby. PS - USS Consitution and the neighboring Museum are a MUST!