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Richard III’s ‘Armour’ at the New Leicester Visitor Centre

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I haven’t seen this for myself yet – but I’ve seen plenty of photographs and a good deal of huffing and puffing over the replica of Richard III’s suit of armour at the recently-opened Visitor Centre in Leicester.

The bone of contention, (apart from the replica’s authenticity, on which I don’t feel qualified to comment), is that it’s painted white, looks more like a Star Wars storm-trooper than the last Plantagenet king, and is therefore somehow insulting to his memory.

The critics do have a point, up to a point – it’s not particularly attractive. However, as a former museum conservator, I do feel qualified to comment on the likely rationale behind this choice of display technique, because it’s not an uncommon one. From the images I’ve seen, the ‘armour’ looks like a teaching resource: there are numbered labels stuck to it at various points, which I assume tie into a key naming the various pieces and possibly giving information about them. It is painted white to show up well in the dimly-lit display case, to allow the labels to be seen and read easily, and most importantly, to make quite clear that this is a REPLICA – that the Visitor Centre designers have not defaced a real suit of historical armour by sticking adhesive labels all over it. A comparable technique is frequently deployed when original artefacts – ceramic vessels, wall-paintings or whatever – are reassembled by conservators and gap-filled with modern materials painted in a different colour; the intention is not to con the viewer into thinking the item was found complete and in perfect condition, but to differentiate between the historic fabric and the modern reconstruction.

I further assume that the designers chose a white colour-scheme for the replica in an attempt to avoid complaints by visitors who might otherwise believe that it is Richard III’s real armour, and that it has been treated inappropriately; so I bet the poor souls are gobsmacked by the flood of ferocious complaint it has nonetheless provoked.

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15 responses to “Richard III’s ‘Armour’ at the New Leicester Visitor Centre”

  1. sighthound6 Avatar
    sighthound6

    I suppose this reflects the frequent gap in understanding between museum professionals and ‘enthusiasts’. The latter often do not understand what the former are trying to achieve; the former rarely offer a useful explanation such as this post. I have seen similar ‘disputes’ in other areas of preservation.

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    1. Helen Rae Rants! Avatar
      Helen Rae Rants!

      Yes, that sounds about right! I did subsequently go to the Visitor Centre and could see where the complainers were coming from, although as a former heritage professional it made perfect sense to me, and I thought the whole thing was very well done – especially the projection of Richard’s remains as found into their original grave. Very moving. I hope to re-visit some day. I really like his tomb, too – completely different from the traditional effigy I and I guess many other people initially envisaged, but deceptively clever and meaningful in different ways. Again, I initially assumed he’d be buried in York or Westminster, but now I love the fact that he’s close by, still part of the fabric of Leicester’s history despite it being the ultimate tragedy in his personal story.

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  2. Helen Rae Rants! Avatar
    Helen Rae Rants!

    Thanks, sighthound. Fair comment – unless an institution makes clear why visitors can’t, for instance, touch the exhibits, use flash photography, and have to put up with closed blinds/low light levels, it can cause a lot of annoyance. (It still does, sometimes, even when it’s explained!!)

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  3. Hilldodger Avatar
    Hilldodger

    The suit is white because of its location in the upstairs gallery which represents the clinical laboratoty used for the identification. I’m not keen on it but it does make sense when you visit the centre.

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    1. Helen Rae Rants! Avatar
      Helen Rae Rants!

      thanks for the clarification, hilldodger – yes, that does make sense.

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      1. manxmaid Avatar
        manxmaid

        Thanks both for explaining the display choice, which makes sense ; still think it odd though that it is not side by side with a real suit of armour to compare ; or perhaps would have a real suit of armour with a high quality photo of it nearby on board with all the arrows and information.

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  4. viscountessw Avatar
    viscountessw

    Beautifully explained. It’s almost always a lack of information that leads to misunderstanding and criticism. Thank you for shedding such light.

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    1. Helen Rae Rants! Avatar
      Helen Rae Rants!

      you’re welcome, viscountessw.

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  5. Joan Cooksley Avatar
    Joan Cooksley

    I’ve been saying more or less the same thing, Helen.
    My only reservation is regarding the crown…..it looks a bit comical and brings the Micklegate Bar outrage to mind!……….but that’s just me, not the general public!

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    1. Helen Rae Rants! Avatar
      Helen Rae Rants!

      Oh good – glad it struck someone else the same, Joan. As to the crown – I’ll reserve judgement on that until I see it myself!

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  6. Anne Marie Boyens Bouchard Avatar
    Anne Marie Boyens Bouchard

    The blue dots on the white each represent a wound that was found on Richard’s remains. There is an explanation of it all close-by that the critics of it all neglect to mention. It is intended as a teaching tool to show the wounds inflicted, including the multitude to the back of the head.

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    1. Helen Rae Rants! Avatar
      Helen Rae Rants!

      aha! many thanks, anne marie.

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  7. SPLITTING HAIRS–AGAIN | murreyandblue

    […] reconstruction with a limp blond wig still does the internet rounds on occasion (although in the Leicester Visitor’s Centre the wig’s colour has in fact been changed to a non-descript brown shade), and I still see […]

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  8. Another “Mary Rose” is found…. – murreyandblue

    […] Here is a comparison with the Mary Rose exhibition at Portsmouth, Raedwald at Sutton Hoo and Richard III at Leicester. […]

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  9. Grey Friars building and car park up for auction in Leicester…. – murreyandblue

    […] near to Leicester Cathedral, Leicester Guildhall, Wygston’s House, St Martins House and the King Richard III Visitor Centre – where visitors can experience the history of the battle of Bosworth and see the exact place […]

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