Within the exhibition, protective gear is divided into four different themes and purposes: battle, sports, status and popular culture.

“For as long as people have been fighting with weapons, they’ve protected themselves with armour,” says Mélanie Morin-Pelletier, a historian with the Canadian War Museum. The battle zone highlights decorated suits, swords and daggers brought over from Italy, armour used in the First and Second World Wars, all the way to a modern bulletproof vest that once spared a police officer’s life.

Highlighting a different kind of battle, the sports section includes jousting equipment, shields and an impressive display featuring two life-size knights on horseback in full body armour. To show the contemporary side of sports gear, the exhibition features goalie equipment worn by three-time Olympic medalist Shannon Szabados, together with an array of sports helmets.

The third section of the exhibition is all about status. Throughout history, armour not only served for the purposes of protection, but symbolized prestige and power when worn outside of the battlefield. Used in ceremonies and tournaments, armour belonging to the famed Medici family and pieces crafted by Tlingit artist Tommy Joseph (representing armour historically worn by the Alaskan Indigenous community) are displayed.

The final section of Armour showcases the multiple ways in which armour has been reinterpreted through the lens of popular culture. “Knights in shining armour may have disappeared from military campaigns a long time ago, but they are still an integral part of popular imagination,” says Morin-Pelletier. A testament to that are costumes at the exhibit made famous by two Hollywood films: Iron Man and Mad Max: Fury Road.

The Canadian War Museum is the only Canadian venue to host the Stibbert collection. Armour is open to the public from now until September. As visitors learn about the history behind armour, Dromaguet hopes that they also understand its relevance.

“I hope that they’re going to appreciate the beauty of these objects and the craftsmanship that goes into making this Renaissance armour,” she says. “But also realize that armour is still around us today — it’s just come a long way.”