Volume 1: European Armour is the first catalog to offer a comprehensive inventory of this substantial and historically significant collection in more than one hundred years. Among the highlights of the collection are imposing sets of Greenwich armor created in the sixteenth century for Henry VIII and Sir Christopher Hatton; an exceptionally beautiful set of armor created in the early seventeenth century for Henry, Prince of Wales; and an ornate field garniture belonging to Julius, Duke of Brunswick, a fine example of armor in the continental style. In addition to fresh research, the book features more than five hundred new photographs that provide clear front, back, and side views, as well as close-ups of ornamentation, maker's marks, and other features for the most important pieces. The book also includes full resources for further study, including two essays giving a broad overview of the history of the collection; specially commissioned reconstruction drawings of important Greenwich garnitures, including lost pieces; a glossary of important terms; and an index, appendix, and bibliography.

The re-creation of classically inspired armor is invariably associated with Filippo Negroli, the most innovative and celebrated of the renowned armorers of Milan.