The Media Archive for Central England is the public screen archive for the East and West Midlands. An independent charity and company based at the University of Lincoln, MACE acquires, catalogues, preserves and makes widely available moving image materials that inform our understanding of the diverse cultures and histories of communities between the Lincolnshire coast and the Welsh border.
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Lichfield Bower and Carnival
Ancient display of military might in Lichfield as Henry II's army takes to the streets.
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Overview
The Lichfield Bower began as a local show of strength in support of King Henry II. By the time this film was shot by John Harris in the late 1930s the display of military prowess had evolved into a carnival procession with the knights, still wearing armour, accompanied by jazz and kazoo bands. Less a display of the town's ability to repel invaders and more an excuse for pageantry and celebration.
The Lichfield Bower initiated in the reign of King Henry II and also known as the Commission of Arraye, took the form of a parade of men in armour who were willing to protect the crown. At the Bower House they were given free meat and wine. With the setting up of regular armies in the seventeenth century the practice was abolished across the country apart from in Lichfield where local people had enjoyed the pageant so much that the practice continued. Vintage armour was worn until the 1960s when it became too fragile. We now fear that Lichfield's future safety may be at risk as two of those suits were put up for sale in 2012 when the organisers ran low on funds.
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