TOP ROW - Armor

Suit of Armor, circa 1850

Donor: Donald O. Boudeman, 1928

In the mid-1800s, Le Sieur de Bouder Cormeilles, a French nobleman, had this reproduction of a 17th century suit of armor made for display in his chateau. At the end of World War I, Donald O. Boudeman purchased the suit of armor and brought it to his home in Kalamazoo.

Chain Mail

Iron mesh, called chain mail, was the most common body armor in medieval Europe.  Eventually it was replaced with iron plates. By the 1400s, the best-equipped knights were covered in plate armor from head to toe.  

A Little Mishap

Donald Boudeman delivered this suit of armor to the Museum by car in 1928. He stood on the running board to steady the armor while his wife drove. When she braked sharply to avoid a collision, Boudeman was thrown from the car and broke his shoulder. Despite his pain, they delivered the armor before going to the hospital.