January 2012
Monthly Archive: January 2012
Mineral of the month: serandite
World's largest twinned serandite crystal.
Canada is like an Old Cow
Submitted by Conrad Biernacki, ROM Programs Manager
Tommy Douglas once said, “Canada is like an old cow. The West feeds it. Ontario and Quebec milk it. And you can well imagine what it’s doing in the Maritimes.”
This vivid imagery has got to inspire you to find out more about this famous Canadian and his achievements.
Mobile Interpretation in Museums
Learn about the latest research and discoveries happening at the ROM and mark your calendars for the 33rd annual ROM Research Colloquium coming up on February 3, 2012.
Ryan Dodge is the Acquisitions Technician in the Library as well an active member of the ROM’s Social Media team. Here, he tells us a little bit more about his upcoming colloquium presentation, Mobile Interpretation in Museums.
Russian Space Probe will Crash to Earth this Week!
Contributed by Brendt C. Hyde and Ian Nicklin.
“That’s Not a Kayak!”: Form, Function, and Cultural Appropriation
By Kenneth R. Lister
Kenneth R. Lister is the Assistant Curator of Anthropology in the Department of World Cultures. Read on for a preview of what he’ll be talking about on February 3, 2012 at the 33rd Annual ROM Research Colloquium.

Notes from Oman: Part 2
Dr. Sarah Fee, Associate Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Textiles & Costumes, is the first-ever recipient of the YPC Research Fund. This November 2011, YPC supported Sarah’s trip to Oman to research ancient forms of pitloom weaving and the trade routes of the Muscat cloth, which will inform part of a future ROM exhibition.
Submitted by Sarah Fee, Associate Curator, Eastern Hemisphere Textiles & Costumes
November 18, 2011
A Rare and Beautiful Bird

Their distinctive heart-shaped face actually helps improve their hearing. With lop-sided ears, they can easily pinpoint prey with sound alone. Photo by Steve Brace
Shahnama: The Persian “Book of Kings”
Want to find out more about the latest research and discoveries happening at the ROM? Mark your calendars for the 33rd annual ROM Research Colloquium coming up on February 3, 2012.
Karin Ruehrdanz, Curator of Islamic Arts in the ROM’s Department of World Cultures tells us a little bit about her upcoming colloquium presentation, Shahnama: The Persian “Book of Kings”
A Maya Inspired Holiday
It seems that Maya: Secrets of Their Ancient World has inspired some really interesting holiday activities. Meet the Futterer Family! Inspired by Maya, they built the temple at Chichen Itza out of gingerbread as their traditional gingerbread house this Christmas.
The idea was suggested by 25-year-old Allie Futterer, designed by 28-year-old Max Futterer, and baked and executed by both of them and Max’s girlfriend Jennifer Funk, age 28.
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Here for ROM for the Holidays, it’s the long-awaited return of the Earth Rangers Studio Winter Wonderland in Life in Crisis: the Schad Gallery of Biodiversity!

A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight... (It took so long to hand-paint all these trees! My wrist hurt for ages.)