???I met him but I didn't really know him. Chef had more interraction with him than I did.
What I can say is that the Higgins Museum has worked for a few years now with the Royal Armouries on research. Particularly the early Fiore and I.33 that Curator Jeffrey Forgeng has worked so hard on. In addition, a joint exchange of info and visits with their fight interpretors such as the John and Jonathan Waller, Andy Deane, and Keith Ducklin (who is supposed to be here this fall), have gone on since it started in 2000.
But... the article is likely right in it's being being the first to have items loaned to the KY museum.
On an interesting note, Higgins is just releasing a wonderful collection of items that will be touring many different museums in the US for the next 5 years. A couple of museums in Florida I believe are on the tour.