Behind the Scenes
Monthly Archive: December Behi
Kalighat Paintings: Murder in the Collection
![Elokeshi holds a flower while the Mahant (priest) fans her, Unknown artist, watercolour on paper, Kalighat, Kolkata, Bengal, India, 19th century, ROM 996.117.7 Gift of Cawthra Mulock Illustration of a man and a seated woman](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/996.117.7_1.jpg?itok=8LPprBub)
A notorious murder case is one of the subjects of the ROM’s collection of mid-nineteenth century Kalighat paintings, an urban folk art style that developed around a popular Kali temple in Kolkata, India. Written by Piali Roy.
The Woman Behind the Biggest Heart in the World
![The ROM's Mammalogy technician Jacqui Miller is always up for a challenge. Photo credit Jacqueline Mille ROM Mammalogy technician Jacqueline Miller with sword in hand in a fencing match - always up for a challenge. Photo credit Jacqueline Miller](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/jacqui_blog_pic_1_0.jpg?itok=uYZUNzaj)
Guest Blog written by 2017 Environmental Visual Communication student Fenella Hood
Knife in hand and knee-deep in rotting blubber, Jacqueline Miller is about to do something that has never been done before: carve out a blue whale's heart for preservation. Enveloped in its stench and racing against decay, she cuts deep into the tissue beneath, sure in her knowledge of anatomy but ever wondering: Will this even work? Read on to learn more about one of the team members behind the world's biggest heart in this blog by EVC student Fennella Hood.
An Interview with Deborah Samuel on "The Extraordinary Beauty of Birds"
![A Crimson Topaz, one of the thousands of bird skins found at the ROM and feature of photographer Deborah Samuel’s new book. Photo by: Deborah Samuel A Crimson Topaz, one of the thousands of bird skins found at the ROM and feature of photographer Deborah Samuel’s new book. Photo by: Deborah Samuel](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/1.crimsontopaz.jpg?itok=EEeXF0cx)
Guest blog by Environmental Visual Communication graduate David Coulson
Deborah Samuel's latest book, “The Extraordinary Beauty of Birds” is a stunning exposé of the ROM ornithology collection; an attempt, in her words, to bring these birds and feathers back to life. Here, EVC graduate David Coulson interviews Deborah about her photography and experiences working in collaboration with the ROM's Natural History collections.
Storytelling: Art, Culture, Nature
![This year’s overall winner of Wildlife Photographer of Year is Tim Laman and his photo story, “While the forest still stands.” This image from the story is titled “Entwined lives.” This year’s overall winner of Wildlife Photographer of Year is Tim Laman and his photo story, “While the forest still stands.” This image from the story is titled “Entwined lives.” It shows an orangutan high in a tree with the rest of the canopy below](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/laman_winningimage_1_of_1-2.jpg?itok=We8u6Q26)
Guest blog by Environmental Visual Communication graduate Samantha Stephens
Art, Culture, Nature. They may be separate words, but if we consider them separate disciplines, we are doing a disservice to the potential of human wisdom. Without nature, there is no culture. Without culture, there is no art. EVC grad Samantha Stephens gives us some examples of how these themes intertwine in recent ROM research and exhibits, including the 2017 Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit, open now!
ROM Collections Contribute to Checklist of Indian Birds
![Brad Millen examines one of countless drawers full of bird specimens from across the world. Photo by Filip Szafirowski Brad Millen examines one of countless drawers full of bird specimens from across the world. Photo by Filip Szafirowski](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/20160721-bradsbirds049-2.jpg?itok=FXN20n1o)
Museum collections are often undervalued and misunderstood. Regular visitors to the ROM don’t get to see what lies behind the public galleries, and yet less than 1% of the ROM’s collections are on display. These collections do far more than gather dust: they are a reference point in time, and, from a natural history perspective, provide a baseline for our understanding of life. I have received a lot of data requests from inside and outside the ROM. Some I can answer, and some I automatically forward along to collections. A group of recent emails stood out in particular...
New to ROM: Frances Ferdinands
![Cinnamon Spice Frances Ferdinands Ontario, Canada 2015 38 x 29 cm ROM2015.67.2 Illustration of a jug container with a red floral pattern.](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/2_1_2015articsokgallery-det.jpg?itok=BPbW4kXQ)
Combining aesthetic beauty and history, this work cleverly and poetically combine references from historical Sri Lankan decorative art alongside meanings that resonate with issues of inequality, injustice, and the exploitation of natural resources during Sri Lanka’s colonial past. Written by Deepali Dewan.
Our Darling Dermestids - A Visit to the ROM's Bug Room
![Hell or haven? To a Dermestid beetle, the ROM's bug room is an ongoing feast in paradise. Photo by Robert Elliot A photo of the sign posted outside the door of the ROM's dermestid beetle colony quotes Dante's Inferno, "Abandon all hope ye who enter here"](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/robertelliotblog1-2.jpg?itok=uLMpNKD3)
Guest blog written by 2015 Environmental Visual Communication student Robert Elliot
How does the Royal Ontario Museum get their Skeletons so clean without compromising their integrity? A well-kept colony of hide beetles cleans every crevice of the various cadavers in the ROM’s bug room with incredible efficiency. A steel walled, dark humid room filled with corpses; a veritable beetle heaven is home to these hard working bugs. Follow EVC student ROM into their domain to get a unique perspective on the ROM.
A Spotlight on Illegal Pelt Trading, and What the ROM Has to Do With It
![A look into the ROM mammalogy collections. Photo by Matt Jenkins Tags on confiscated furs within the ROM Collections. Photo by Matt Jenkins](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/matt_jenkins_rom_blog-1_title_shot.jpg?itok=Wq9o5SH0)
Guest blog post by Environmental Visual Communication alumnus Matt Jenkins.
Celebrating its centennial birthday this year, the ROM has always stood as a place of education, family enjoyment and research. That is why I found it surprising that the ROM identifies nearly one quarter of its roughly one thousand pelts as ‘seized’ or illegal. Fear not though, as I learned, they are at the museum with the proper permits and have actually played integral roles in assisting the prevention of illegal pelt trading.
Pacifist Males & Warrior Females
About a hundred year ago, mass produced colour lithographs proliferated across the South Asian subcontinent creating new imaginary communities through a shared visual imagery. In this new kind of visual culture, hero images seemed to flip traditional gender roles by being dominated by warrior females and pacifist males. Written by Deepali Dewan
Blue Whale Update: Where is it Now?
![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. 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](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/blue_whale_update_header.jpg?itok=uYFNHR--)
Guest Blog Posting by Environmental Visual Communication (EVC) student, Nila Sivatheesan
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