Royal Ontario Museum March Break March 10 - 14, 2008

AEMMA presented their medieval paraphernalia for the ROM's March Break week, which included a "tree of arms" bearing the coats of arms of many of AEMMA's students, weapons rack, heraldic standards and banners displaying students' coats of arms, and the usual presentation of arms and armour available for visitors to try on or handle. This is the fourth year that AEMMA's been involved with a display and presentation at the ROM's annual March Break week.

The AEMMA display and presentation included a daily unarmoured broadsword fencing demonstration scheduled at 3pm. Visitors learned about some swordsmanship techniques, and a little bit about Fiore dei Liberi as well as witnessing free-fencing play. The fencing demonstration followed with a Q&A period which sometimes lasted for more than a 1/2 hour!

AEMMA student Trevor poses with an arming sword in front of the "tree of arms". - photo Sean Winslow	Kids packed against the display, one trying on a hounskul. - photo Sean Winslow	AEMMA student Aaron describing the specifications of a longsword before handing it to a visitor, AEMMA student Annette Perry to his right. - photo Sean Winslow	A view from inside the display booth, John Woods OMSG (foreground), Adam Trumpour in period garb and Aaron Bolarinho. - photo David M. Cvet
A child trying on one of the kettle helms, with another trying on a spagenhelm on the left, and great helm on the right. - photo Sean Winslow	Kids entranced with every word as one of the AEMMA volunteers describes arms and armour and how they may have been used in battle. - photo Sean Winslow	AEMMA student Trevor assisting a visitor trying on a great helm. - photo Sean Winslow	A child looking fairly comfortable in a spagenhelm with mail coif. - photo Sean Winslow
AEMMA student Trevor demonstrates some of the finer points of the dagger as a weapon to interested schoolchildren visiting the AEMMA display. - photo Sean Winslow	Holding the tips for safety, Trevor allows visiting schoolchildren to hold blunt AEMMA training weapons. - photo Sean Winslow	AEMMA student Annette talks to a young visitor about the differences between the arming sword and the longsword, while another child handles a helmet behind her. - photo Sean Winslow	A view of the AEMMA display and presentation area at the ROM prior to the throngs of visitors. - photo David M. Cvet
A view ofthe display area looking west through the Currelly Gallery showing clearly one of two AEMMA medieval pavilions. - photo David M. Cvet	Another similar westward view, Aaron on the left, Annette on the right. - photo David M. Cvet	A straight on shot of the display area showing the Maciejowski Tapestry on the left, and the tree of arms. - photo David M. Cvet	A view of the archery "range" offering kids the opportunity to shoot arrows using light-weight recurves or longbows. - photo David M. Cvet