South_face_of_the_Waterloo_Barracks,_Tower_of_London,_2009

The Heralds' Museum was a museum of

heraldry Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch ...

run by the College of Arms Trust at the

Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is separa ...

during the 1980s. It was situated in the old

Waterloo Barracks The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, which is sep ...

within the Tower. The original idea came from

Sir Anthony Wagner Sir Anthony Richard Wagner (6 September 1908 – 5 May 1995) was a long-serving officer of arms at the College of Arms in London. He served as Garter Principal King of Arms before retiring to the post of Clarenceux King of Arms. He was one of ...

Garter Principal King of Arms The Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ...

. Wagner hoped to establish a

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

in which to display the treasures of the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

. A plan for a building adjacent to the college was commissioned from

Raymond Erith Raymond Charles Erith Royal Academy of Arts, RA FRIBA (7 August 1904 – 30 November 1973) was a leading classical architect in England during the period dominated by the modern movement after the Second World War. His work demonstrates his contin ...

, but not taken forward due to the increasing financial demands of repairs to the college building. In 1980, the Heralds' Museum was opened by the

Duke of Kent Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of peerage of Great Britain, Great Britain and the peerage of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom, most recently as a Royal dukedoms in the United Kingdom, royal dukedom ...

as part of the Tower of London. The museum was open during the summer season and admission was included in admission to the Tower. Exhibits included items from the collection of College of Arms and artifacts borrowed from other sources. Peter Spurrier served as its curator, and

John Brooke-Little John Philip Brooke Brooke-Little (6 April 1927 – 13 February 2006) was an English writer on heraldic subjects, and a long-serving herald at the College of Arms in London. In 1947, while still a student, Brooke-Little founded the Society of He ...

as its director. The museum closed later in the 1980s following the reorganization of the Royal Palaces.

References

Tower of London Defunct museums in London Heraldic sites British heraldry {{Coord, 51, 30, 29, N, 0, 4, 34, W, type:landmark_scale:3000_region:GB, display=title