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A Super Event and a Super Moon
The libration of the Moon over a single lunar month. Image credit: Tom Ruen For all the space junkies and aspiring astronauts, the ROM is holding its first ever Space Weekend on May 5 and 6…it’s going to be out of this world! A variety of rare metorites will be on display, many that you can
A Superior BioBlitz
Guest blog written by 2017 Environmental Visual Communication student Adil Darvesh Most BioBlitzes tend to span a 24-hour period, but this was no typical BioBlitz. After an 18-hour drive covering 1,400 kilometres from Toronto to the North shore of Lake Superior, I spent a week documenting one of
A surprise photograph from India
Mystery portrait in the ROM's collection, later revealed to be Sunder Shyam Chadha in the film “Chhottii Babhi,” 1951 Painted photograph sent by the Friendship Force of Nashik, Dilip Kumar in the film "Ram Aur Shyam," 1967 In 2011, I curated the exhibit Embellished Reality:
A Tale of Two Cities
Dr. Helen R. Haines has discovered many things in her years of digging, measuring and mapping the remnants of the ancient Maya culture. However, it would be a mistake to assume that what she uncovers relates only to peoples of the distant past. Sometimes, what we learn about them reveals equally as
A thank you to all the volunteers at the ROM
This week marks National Volunteer Week, a special week that recognizes and pays tribute to the many contributions that volunteers make each day in Canada and around the globe. Now in its 72 nd year, National Volunteer Week celebrates the efforts and time of volunteers and the incredible impact
A tortoise by any other name is…a new species.
In 1861, American Physician and Naturalist James Graham Cooper described a new species of tortoise from the deserts of California, and a 150-year mystery began. He named this new discovery Agassiz’s Land Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), but the name was changed some years later to Desert Tortoise.
A Viking's Life
Post by the Swedish History Museum The term “Viking” is often synonymous with pirate or robber, and evokes violence. But is that a false impression of the people from the north? During the period 793 to 1066 AD, the Vikings played a vital role as traders, plunderers, seafarers, and
Accessibility Awareness Week 2013 Spotlight- Alexis Pastuch
Alexis Pastuch has been a member of the ROM’s Accessibility Advisory Committee since 2010. After studying to be a law clerk at Durham College, Alexis found it difficult to locate a position with accessibility standards that created a comfortable working environment. This challenge encouraged
Accessibility Awareness Week Spotlight 2013- Adam Roy Cohoon
Adam Roy Cohoon is an active member of the accessibility advocacy community. He has been a member of the ROM’s Accessibility Advisory Committee since 2010 and is also involved with the Anne Johnston Barrier-Free Advisory Council and the TTC Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation. Adam
Adventures at Big Fish River
This blog post was written by Dr. Kim Tait, Curator of Mineralogy at the ROM. As the new recipient of the YPC Research Fund, Kim has travelled to the northeastern corner of the Yukon—a remote region rich with minerals called Rapid Creek. Her work builds on the legacy of ROM research on phosphate
Adventures in the Great Bear Rainforest: from the Royal Ontario Museum to the wilds of British Columbia with Paul Nicklen
By guest blogger Paul Esposti, 2016 Environmental Visual Communication Program graduate. It’s September 2016, although I’ve lost track of the days. But it’s September and I’m in Northern British Columbia and being dry is a distant memory as I lay in a damp field surrounded by tall
Age Before Beauty: The Acasta Gneiss and Jack Hills Conglomerate
Submitted by Vincent Vertolli, Assistant Curator Geology The Jack Hills Conglomerate, a 3,000 million year old sedimentary rock from which the oldest, at 4,200 million years, terrestrial minerals have been found. The Jack Hills Conglomerate occurs in the Mt. Narryer and Jack Hills area of Western
Amarna Artifacts in the ROM’s Ancient Egypt Collection
By Laura Ranieri If you go up to the Museum’s third floor and make your way into the Ancient Egypt displays, you will quickly find yourself amid an impressive collection of objects dating from the Old Kingdom through to Ptolemaic times. This is just a representative sampling of the more than
An Afternoon With Weird Science at the ROM's 80-Year-Old Camp
Guest blog written by 2018 Environmental Visual Communication student Michael Berger. Under the fluorescent museum lighting, in a pristine, white hallway a group of kids ages six to seven begin their experiments. The investigations start with looking, then touching, then smelling, tasting,
An Important Bird Area (IBA) and an Awesome Spectacle!
Looking for a fun activity one winter weekend? Head down to Niagara Falls and be amazed by the annual gull spectacle that takes place each year along the river. As many as 100,000 gulls of up to 12 species spend December along the river between Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Drive the River
An Innovative Approach to A Puzzling Problem
Conserving an Indian Chintz Cope made in the Eighteenth Century for the Armenian Church Here in the Textile Conservation department of the ROM, Senior Textile Conservator Chris Paulocik and I have begun preparing objects for display in the upcoming exhibition: “The Cloth that Changed the World:
An Interview with Deborah Samuel on "The Extraordinary Beauty of Birds"
Guest blog by Environmental Visual Communication graduate David Coulson There are over 140 000 bird skins, 45 000 skeletons and 12 000 nests and eggs methodically organized and cataloged behind the scenes at the Royal Ontario Museum. Some of these skins are over 200 years old, others arriving from
An Interview with Jameel Jaffer
With his talk at the upcoming 11th annual Eva Holtby Lecture on Contemporary Culture, part of the ROM Speaks series, constitutional lawyer and civil liberties advocate Jameel Jaffer will focus on the phenomenon of official secrecy. Zeroing in on the legal, political, and social repercussions of
An Interview with Plasticine Artist Barbara Reid
Sunday April 22 is Earth Day, but we’re celebrating Mother Earth all weekend! We’re super excited to welcome Barbara Reid, the popular children’s author and plasticine artist extraordinaire, as a special guest this weekend. She is leading workshops for kids, teaching families how to make
An Ivory Triptych
Every once in a while, well actually more on a very regular basis, some amazing artifacts come to our studio to be photographed. Last week, Jennifer Kinnaird of the Western Art and Culture Dept, European Decorative Arts section, brought me an ivory artifact to photograph. It is a hinged triptych,
Ancient Egypt Weekend! OR How a mummy, NOT a dinosaur, got me into teaching.
I started volunteering at the Royal Ontario Museum when I was 14. After a few summers of being a camper at Summer Club, I was old enough to start volunteering. Volunteering at Summer Club turned out to be an incredibly magical experience for me, and eventually led to me to where I am today! One of
Antonia and Deb’s top ten favourite things about Bioblitzes
On June 13, 14, 2015, the ROM Department of Natural History and other ROM staff participated in the Don River Watershed Bioblitz. It was the fourth annual Ontario Bioblitz. This is our personal short list and we are sure that other participants have their own favourite things about bioblitzing. We
Applify Your Museum Visit
Mobile applications have changed the way we live–they have replaced our alarm clocks, notepads, calculators, and cameras. We can have all these things in the palms of our hands via smart phones and smart gadgets. Smart phones have moved away from being just a powerful phone and web-surfing
Appreciation of Indigenous Storytelling with Sister Spider
Written by Carly Brascoupé, Kiowa Wind Memorial Indigenous Youth Intern These infamous animals were around long before the time of dinosaurs. They can dance, weave, burrow, hunt, parachute across hundreds of kilometres, and even lose a limb and grow it back. They make a significant contribution to
Après 175 ans, le mystère des fossiles de forme conique est résolu
Je m’appelle Joe Moysiuk, j’ai 20 ans et je suis étudiant de premier cycle dans deux départements : écologie et biologie évolutive ainsi que sciences de la Terre. Je suis heureux d’annoncer que la revue Nature a publié un article de recherche intitulé Hyoliths are Palaeozoic
Archaeological Achievements of the ROM- 1914 to 2012
As the newest Rebanks Intern, I am excited to present the latest ROM Library display case, located on the main floor just in front of the Library and Archives. On display is a timeline depicting highlights of the ROM’s extensive work and achievements in the field of archaeology. The chronology
Archaeological Approaches to Ceramics
By Ashley MacLellan and Craig Cipolla Back in October, we posted the first in a series of blog entries dedicated to ROM curator, Craig Cipolla’s collaborative research project with Wyandot artists Richard Zane Smith and Catherine Tammaro entitled, “Remembering Ancient Pottery Traditions.” We
Archaeology Weekend is here!
Here’s THREE reasons to come out to the ROM this weekend (April 13/14) for Archaeology Weekend! 1. Meet your Museum Heroes. ROM curators and experts will be on the floor throughout the weekend to talk to you about ALL things archaeology! Meet the curators behind some of your
Archaeology Weekend Recap
Submitted by Chen Shen, Vice President, World Cultures Here we have UofT graduate students explaining artefacts from the Aegean, behind them more students showing Onario artefacts, and behind them quipu-making with Dr. Justin Jennings! Over 40 archaeologists from the ROM and the University of
Archaeology Weekend: Meet your Museum Heroes!
I can’t wait for Archaeology Weekend (April 14 – 15). It’s REALLY going to be special. BUT! Before we get there, let me tell you a story! One of the most vivid memories I have from my childhood experiences visiting the ROM involved interacting with actual professionals who brought the cool
Arctic Adventures with Dr. Doug Currie
Dr. Currie and his colleagues, technicians and grad students, will be available to answer your questions and to tell stories about what the pesky black fly can tell us about our changing natural world. Doug is THE authority on black flies (he wrote the book on them), and his research has
Are you Afraid FOR Bats This Halloween?
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
Arti Chandaria (1960-2015)
Arti Chandaria, long-time ROM friend, volunteer, and supporter passed away on Friday January 23, 2015. She lived each day with vigor and enthusiasm, never letting cancer impede her from a life of discovery. As a daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend, she inspired with her passion,
Artist Annu Palakunnathu Matthew takes Family Photos at ROM
On Saturday May 23, 2015, during ROM Big Weekend: Global Family and in conjunction with the exhibition “Generations,” artist-photographer Annu Matthew set up studio in the ROM galleries to take complimentary family photographs of ROM visitors. After a steady stream of interested parties that
Artist Interview: Art and Culture in the Gulf
The ROM’s Ann Webb interviews Holtby lecturer, Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi In preparation for the upcoming Holtby Lecture on November 10th, the ROM’s Managing Director of Contemporary Culture Ann Webb asked Sheikha Hoor Al-Qasimi about her art foundation and its role in Sharjah. Ann Webb: You grew
Artists of the Floating World, Part I
Written by Josiah Ariyama Supervised by Dr. Asato Ikeda A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Print s, exhibited at the ROM from May until November, 2016 offers but a glimpse into the lives of Wakashu, or “young companions” living in Edo period Japan (1603-1868). The exhibition not
Artists of the Floating World, Part II
Written by Josiah Ariyama Supervised by Dr. Asato Ikeda In the sunset years of his life and a hundred years before Perry, Suzuki Harunobu revolutionized the woodblock printing method, rendering previous methods obsolete. In Part II we look at nishiki-e, full-coloured prints from 1765 onward.
Asian Carps and GLMRIS Canadian Information Session
By Henry H.C. Choong, Departmental Associate, Invertebrate Zoology and Invertebrate Palaeontology Sections, Royal Ontario Museum Invasive Species and the Great Lakes Basin The Great Lakes basin ecosystem is of great importance to Canada; changes to this ecosystem can have far-reaching impacts upon
At the Heart of the Museum: Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery Floor Restoration
The majestic Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery, built during the Museum’s 1933 expansion, connects the 1914 Philosophers Walk Wing to the 1933 Hilary and Galen Weston Wing on Queen’s Park. Many upgrades and modifications have enhanced the gallery’s role as the visitor’s orientation space to the
August Rock, Gem, Mineral, Fossil, and Meteorite ID Clinic
The ROM's August ID clinic had a steady flow of visitors up to the museum closing at 5:30pm. Overall, we had 93 specimens identified and 35 people attend our ID clinic to have their treasures identified. We had 18 meteor-wrongs, 18 gems and 57 fossils come through our doors. The Fossil team
Aurora Borealis: Toronto Edition!
On January 7th, the Sun’s surface erupted with an explosion that is now 15 times the width of Earth. The resulting solar flare sent particles racing towards our planet at remarkable speeds, which in previous incidents have reached up to 1609 kilometers a second. Though the massive X1 solar
Awesome Year for Painted Ladies
“They’re everywhere!” You may have seen one, two or many of these lovely butterflies in the past week. Maybe in your backyard or in a flower garden or in a park. Butterfly enthusiasts have reported thousands (!!) of Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui) from Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, and
Baby bison are found, four Canadian girls win experience of a lifetime
Kids loved the mystery of the lost baby bison. They searched the 285 hectares of the Toronto Zoo. They inspected the great halls, galleries and dark corners of the Royal Ontario Museum. They probed the online world of Bison Collaborative websites. They left no stone unturned. They were dedicated,
Back in the lab – trying to make heads or tails of it all.
After three days of successful fieldwork on the chilly Grand Rapids Uplands, we return – toting a fresh batch of fossils – to The Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. This is the home turf of my colleague, Graham Young, and almost a second home for me. Graham’s lab in the Museum’s Geology and
Battling over Healthcare
Submitted by Conrad Biernacki, ROM Programs Manager This past Wednesday evening, there was a battle in the main gallery at the Royal Ontario Museum. On one side of the stage was Michael Bliss who argued for the debate resolution that Tommy Douglas put Canada’s healthcare on the wrong path, and
Beautiful Bugs! A New Acquisition
The ROM Library has recently acquired an edition of E. A. Séguy’s Insects, published in the 1920s. The book contains highly coloured and detailed full-page illustrations of insects, executed in the expensive pochoir printing technique favoured at this time. The scientific study of insects
Behind the Blitz: Become the Biodiversity
Blog by Stacey Lee Kerr, Biodiversity Storyteller / Creative Producer for the ROM's Centre for Biodiversity At this year's Ontario BioBlitz, things are set to get a little wild... we've invited everyone to dress up as an Ontario species for our NatureFest Costume Contest. But what
Behind the Blitz: Eye to Eye with a Bat
Blog by Environmental Visual Communication alumnus / Ontario BioBlitz Communications Assistant Fatima Ali Some adventurous people dream of being out in the field with scientists, documenting wildlife in the middle of the forest and discovering species. Sounds pretty exciting doesn’t it? Well the
Behind the Blitz: The Heart of the Data
Guest blog by Angela Telfer, the Data Management Lead for Bio-Inventory and Collections Unit of the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario (BIO), and Database Coordinator for the Ontario BioBlitz program During the BioBlitz, you will find me camped out at the Species Depot. I won’t go out into the
Behind the Blitz: Three Young Scientists
Blog by Nadine Leone, ROM Hands-on Biodiversity Gallery Assistant Coordinator Do you like insects or aquatic species? If you answered yes, then you have something in common with Danielle de Carle, Viviana Astudillo and Roegan Vetro, who are three young ROM scientists participating in the Ontario