The collection has crossbows, battle axes, swords, armor and many other items that will have you visualizing Joffrey with the crossbow, Arya Stark with Needle or Brienne of Tarth handling a two handed sword.
The Yocum Library and Berks County Public Libraries have free admission passes to the museum. Check the library online catalog or call your library for available passes.
The Yocum Library has the paperback collection of George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" and HBO DVD series "Game of Thrones" Season 1 and Season 2.
Arms and Armor reflect, in material and design, the advancing technology of man, the great migrations of peoples and the clashes of civilizations. Weapons are among the most commonly found objects surviving from the past: Arms in graves and hoards of armor and weaponry in hallowed spots. Some of the weapons and pieces of protective armor in the Museum's collection were used in real battles; others were used in ceremonies. There is even armor for children and for horses.
Until the 19th century, the meeting of armies had the quality of a spectacle. The display of arms was intended to inspire fear and serve as an index of power. In the pre-Christian era, weapons were assigned a magical, religious power that did not completely disappear in the Christian west.
"Battle axes were among the most widely used medieval weapons. Of all sizes, they were light weapons intended to be thrown, or in the case of heavy pole-axes, swung by both hands." ...
"The arbalest, or crossbow, was a popular Medieval and early Renaissance hand projectile weapon. It appeared in southern Europe during the 12th century replacing the conventional bow, which could not send an arrow through chain mail."...
..."The most common type of body armor worn by European nobles during the period from the 10th to the 13th century was chain or mesh mail. Usually a tunic or a padded garment was worn under the mail to protect the wearer from burning hot or icy cold metal."
To reads the full details of the Arms and Armor Collection go to,
http://www.readingpublicmuseum.org/museum/galleries/first_floor/armor.php
