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Bashford Dean and the Creation of the Arms and Armor Department, 1904–1929

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Program Information

Bashford Dean and the Creation of the Arms and Armor Department, 1904–1929

Program information

As part of a special Sunday at the Met program held in conjunction with the exhibition Bashford Dean and the Creation of the Arms and Armor Department, Donald J. La Rocca explains the founding and history of the department.

A zoologist by training, Bashfod Dean was for a time simultaneously a full professor at Columbia University, Curator of Fishes at the American Museum of Natural History, and Curator of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum. At the Met, he worked initially as a guest curator in 1904, when he was invited to install and catalog the Museum's first significant acquisitions of arms and armor. He continued on as honorary curator until joining the staff full time in 1912 as head of the newly created Arms and Armor Department, rapidly building the collection into one of international importance.

Dressing in Steel: Part One

Dressing in Steel: Part One
(00:37:39) 845 views

Dressing in Steel: Part Two

Dressing in Steel: Part Two
(00:20:04) 375 views

A Visit to the Armor Galleries

A Visit to the Armor Galleries
(00:30:21) 4843 views

Bashford Dean and the Creation of the Arms and Armor Department, 1904&ndash;1929

Bashford Dean and the Creation of the Arms and Armor Department, 1904–1929
(00:30:12) 245 views

The Art of Arms and Armor: Challenges of Research, Display, and Education

The Art of Arms and Armor: Challenges of Research, Display, and Education
(00:33:09) 329 views

Curators, Collectors, and Dealers: The Growth of the Arms and Armor Collection, 1929 to the Present

Curators, Collectors, and Dealers: The Growth of the Arms and Armor Collection, 1929 to the Present
(00:36:37) 221 views

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Exhibitions:

Events:

Smallsword

Date:
hallmarked for 1736–37
Culture:
French, Paris
Medium:
Silver, steel
Dimensions:
Length overall 34 7/8 in. ( 88.57 cm) Length of blade 29 1/2 in. ( 74.93 cm) Gr. width of blade 1 in. ( 2.54 cm) Gr. thickness of blade 0 3/8 in. ( 0.94 cm) Hardness of blade 25-35
Classification:
Swords
Credit Line:
Gift of Jean Jacques Reubell, in memory of his mother, Julia C. Coster, and of his wife, Adeline E. Post, both of New York City, 1926
Accession Number:
26.145.353

This artwork is currently on display in Gallery 376

40001155

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