October 2014

Monthly Archive: October 2014

Are you Afraid FOR Bats This Halloween?

Posted: October 30, 2014 - 20:53 , by ROM
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two little brown bats fly in a twilit sky over Rouge Park during the 2012 Ontario BioBlitz. Photo by Stacey Lee Kerr

I love bats. There’s just something about them that gives me that warm fuzzy feeling inside everytime I see one. Now I know what you (and to be honest, a lot of people I know) are thinking - how can she like such a creepy little mammal like a bat? Don’t they suck your blood/get caught in your hair/give you the heebie jeebies? First of all, the answer to those questions is no.

Introducing Nefret-Mut

Posted: October 24, 2014 - 09:58 , by royal
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Gayle Gibson with Nefret-Mut's coffin

ROM Educator and Egyptologist Gayle Gibson explains how she was able to name this mummy after so many years in the collection

Blue Whale Update: Where is it Now?

Posted: October 20, 2014 - 14:43 , by ROM
A beached blue whale on the Newfoundland coast, strapped up and ready to be  transported to Woody Point for recovery. Photo by Jacqueline C. Waters

Guest Blog Posting by Environmental Visual Communication (EVC) student, Nila Sivatheesan

The "Maple Leaf Forever Tree" Lives On

Posted: October 17, 2014 - 14:28 , by ROM
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Eco-Woodturner, Michael Finkelstein, works on a set of nesting bowls in his studio. Photo by Justine DiCesare

A year after a storm toppled the famous "Maple Leaf Forever Tree" in Leslieville, Toronto-based artisan and Eco-woodturner Michael Finkelstein wanted to help preserve this beautiful, 150-year old silver maple tree for future generations to enjoy through his artwork.

Walking a half-Marathon as the Herculaneum soldier

Posted: October 16, 2014 - 14:44 , by Robert Mason
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The Last Day of Pompeii is a large canvas painting by Russian artist Karl Briullov in 1830-33 (Hermitage Museum, public domain image)

Probably on October 24th in 79 AD a large group of people congregated on the beach at the seaside town of Herculaneum, in Italy. They were presumably trying to take ship to gain distance from Mount Vesuvius, which had been raining ash and rocks on the city, and the neighbouring town of Pompeii, all day. But suddenly, a massive cloud of red-hot ash swept down from the volcano directly towards Herculaneum. Studies of the skeletons on the beach show that they were mostly males, with women and children huddling in boathouses by the shore. One man in particular was a soldier.

Visiting a Family Heirloom

Posted: October 1, 2014 - 16:40 , by Deepali Dewan

The dagger was a wedding gift in recognition of the military traditions within the family of the donor, who then gave it to the museum in order to preserve this special object for future generations. In October 2010, his daughter contacted the museum about seeing this family heirloom and then returned with the next generation of family members in tow to revisit this meaningful piece. Because of her efforts, the museum now has a fuller history of her family’s connection to this artefact, which is now part of its permanent record. Written by Deepali Dewan