Great Firearms: A Historical Perspective

What makes a gun great? Dr. John Byck joins us from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to explore key aspects of fine historical firearm design. From ingenious mechanisms to beautiful decorations to perfect balance, this lecture will explore key aspects of fine historical firearm design from the sixteenth century through the modern period.

Dr. John Byck is the Assistant Curator in the Department of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Byck holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts. A specialist in ornament, he joined the Department of Arms and Armor at the Met in 2015 after serving as research assistant in the Department of Drawings and Prints.