Search

#ThrowbackThursday: Quite a Feat

In September, 1971, the ROM opened the landmark exhibition  Keep Me Warm One Night, a kaleidoscopic display of over 500 pieces of Canadian handweaving. It was the culmination of decades of pioneering research and collecting by the ROM curatorial powerhouse duo ‘Burnham and Burnham’, aka

#ThrowbackThursday: Saws and Drills

In September, 1971, the ROM opened the landmark exhibition  Keep Me Warm One Night, a kaleidoscopic display of over 500 pieces of Canadian handweaving. It was the culmination of decades of pioneering research and collecting by the ROM curatorial powerhouse duo ‘Burnham and Burnham’, aka

#ThrowbackThursday: Stippling the Walls

In September, 1971, the ROM opened the landmark exhibition  Keep Me Warm One Night, a kaleidoscopic display of over 500 pieces of Canadian handweaving. It was the culmination of decades of pioneering research and collecting by the ROM curatorial powerhouse duo ‘Burnham and Burnham’, aka

#ThrowbackThursday: Working Like Mad

In September, 1971, the ROM opened the landmark exhibition  Keep Me Warm One Night, a kaleidoscopic display of over 500 pieces of Canadian handweaving. It was the culmination of decades of pioneering research and collecting by the ROM curatorial powerhouse duo ‘Burnham and Burnham’, aka

'Globes Celestial and Terrestrial': the Science of Star-gazing

The study of celestial bodies is one of the oldest sciences. Meticulous observations of the night sky were made by many early civilizations who used the information for various purposes, including determining the right time for planting, harvesting, ceremonial events and tides.  Early astronomy

'The Elements of Armories': A Very Short History of Heraldry

The colourful pennants and shields  carried by bold knights and courageous squires are known to us today from illustrated books and films telling stories of Robin Hood, or King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. But these bright emblems are more than decoration, and have long historical

"All manner of Sychenesses": Domestic Medical Books

The late winter months often coincide with cold and ‘flu season, a time when we look for remedies to help cure runny noses or coughs. Now we might turn to the internet for this kind of information, but in years past people would have consulted the household medical book for advice.   One of the

"Of Angling, and the Art thereof": Fish Tails and Fish Tales

“Of Angling, and the Art thereof I sing, What kinde of Tooles it doth behoue to haue; And with what pleasing bayt a man may bring  The Fish to bite within the watry waue.” Fishing has long been pursued to provide food for families and communities, but as early as the 17th century when I. D.

"Pseudo-Nature" and Photographic Integrity

Guest blog written by 2015 Environmental Visual Communication student Sean de Francia The 13th of June saw the fourth annual Ontario Bioblitz, a 24-hour frenzy of citizen science bringing taxonomic experts and ecological enthusiasts to the Don River Watershed to create an inventory of the local

10 Birds You'll Love More Than Flappy Bird

Is your high score below 10? Are you constantly crashing into those nauseating green pipes? Behold Flappy Bird, a frustratingly repetitive and highly addicting flash game about a bird who depends on you to navigate through Super Mario-esque pipes. The instructions are undefined, but the game is

100 Years of Collecting

10th Annual Eva Holtby Lecture

We were thrilled to welcome Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President of the Sharjah Art Foundation and Director of the Sharjah Biennial   to the ROM for the 10th annual Eva Holtby Lecture on Contemporary Culture on November 10. More than 400 people heard Al Qasimi live at the ROM and via Synaptop

18th Century Chintz Banyans: Mapping Patterns at the Royal Ontario Museum (2021 Veronika Gervers Lecture)

2013 Social Media year in review: Facebook

As the ROM’s Social Media Coordinator, 2013 was a turning point for social media at the museum. It was the first full year where we had someone dedicated to social media and on Facebook we more than doubled our engaged community. We focused this year on deploying a consistant posting schedule and

2013 Social Media year in review: Twitter

As the ROM’s Social Media Coordinator, 2013 was a turning point for social media at the museum. It was the first full year where we had someone dedicated to social media, and more and more staff engaged than ever on Twitter. For #FF, let me suggest some of our newest ROM tweeps: Xerxes Mazda,

2014 Ontario Bioblitz Bird Count Gets Results!

By guest blogger Kevin Kerr, Curator of Birds & Invertebrates at the Toronto Zoo, Taxon Lead for the 2014 Ontario Bioblitz Bird Team On May 24 th  at 11:49 a.m., I watched in frustration as a Common Nighthawk flew across a flawless blue sky. Nighthawks are not hawks at all, but rather

2024 Ontario Fish Identification Workshops

If you are a fisheries biologist or a student registered in a fisheries biology program, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), Department of Natural History, provides an opportunity to improve your fish identification skills. The workshops are designed primarily for professionals, technicians, field

20th Century Couture in Toronto

Social and Cultural History of Couture in Toronto, 1900-1937 This project explores the historical role, cultural meaning and function of European and Canadian couture for the makers, merchandisers and consumers in Toronto in the first half of the 20th century. It provides an earlier context for my

5 reasons to be excited for BioBlitz Canada 150 in Rouge National Urban Park

Guest blog by Omar McDadi, External Relations Manager, Parks Canada, Rouge National Urban Park Parks Canada is thrilled to host one of several BioBlitz Canada 150 events taking place across Canada on June 24th and 25th in Rouge National Urban Park – one of several signature Canada 150 events of

5 Things To Do at the Museum During March Break

We've got BIG March Break plans, but here are the top 5 for you and your family!   1. Dive into ocean facts, mysteries, and explore our new special exhibition, Out of the Depths: The Blue Whale Story   2. Try on a pair of echolocation goggles and hunt for tasty fishes like a dolphin with

70 Years of Dior

8 things to know about the ROM’s reopened Weston Entrance

With the reopening of the heritage Weston Entrance, the ROM is literally and symbolically throwing its doors open even wider and welcoming all audiences into the Museum. Here are 8 things to know about the Weston Entrance: Then and Now The construction of this wing began during the Great

[REVIEW] The Making of The Forbidden City Exhibition: Member Lecture

June 14, 2014, The Royal Ontario Museum treated its Members to a private lecture on The Making of The Forbidden City. Hosted in the Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, over 200 ROM Members were in attendance. Dr. Chen Shen and David Hollands – two of the many masterminds behind our current

A 19th-Century Shofar Sounds a Wake-Up Call

A 19th-Century Whalebone Corset

A bird in the hand... by Mark Peck, Ornithology Technician, ROM Biodiversity

  During spring and fall migration, thousands of birds die due to collisions with buildings in the Greater Toronto Area. Through the dedication of the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) and its volunteers, injured birds are rehabilitated through the Toronto Wildlife Centre and the dead birds are

A Cambrian Puzzle

A collector's gift for future generations

For Philip Cheong, collecting is an intergenerational affair. With his father and maternal grandfather both avid collectors, he notes his formative years surrounded by carefully curated objects as a lasting influence in building his own treasured holdings. His first serious acquisition—a

A Conversation Café with Artist Tayeba Begum Lipi

A Day in the Field With Burton Lim

Assistant Curator Burton Lim describes a typical day of fieldwork in China, from preparing bat and rodent specimens to recording field notes, and of course enjoying camp meals.

A Decade of Excellence

The ROM’s collections are a springboard for discovery, inspiring wonder and promoting learning for our diverse communities. And for outstanding up-andcoming scholars advancing bold research ideas at the Museum, they are the focus of innovative lines of inquiry across art, culture, and nature.

A Different Kind of Mezcal Worm: The Story of a Leech, a Manatee and Biodiversity Conservation

Blog by Roegan Vetro, ROM Biodiversity Gallery Facilitator Mezcal is a strong alcoholic beverage arguably best known for the “worm” (which is really a caterpillar) sitting at the bottom of each bottle. Invertebrate zoologists however recently decided to store a different kind of organism in

A Family Affair With a Land Before Time

Dr. Maureen Trudeau and her family first discovered the Burgess Shale while wandering the Royal Tyrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta. She and her “dinosaur-obsessed son” came across an exhibit with large replicas of bizarre early life creatures that had been unearthed in Yoho National Park,