Royal Ontario Museum Blog
Monthly Archive: December
A New Focus for Photography
I have had the pleasure this past week of working with a new camera. This is not just any new camera, but a tool which allows one to rethink how we go about photography. The number of times we have all heard "you should have focused on that thing" or "you forgot to focus!" is frustrating. "It’s a great shot....but it's out of focus".
'The Elements of Armories': A Very Short History of Heraldry
![Edmund Bolton, The Elements of Armories, 1610](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/detail_title_the_elements_of_armories_1611.jpg?itok=kXPq1qJE)
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 roots.
The Anatomy of a Book: Saving The Naturalist's Library
![The Naturalist's Library, vol. XIII by Charles Hamilton Smith. Edinburgh: 1842](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/title.jpg?itok=WxIm-yjU)
Books are remarkably durable. Fragments have survived from ancient times, while others have traversed the centuries in near perfect condition. One such example is the St Cuthbert Gospel from the 7th century, the earliest intact European book. But despite the robust structure of the book, the rigours of use and the passage of years cause many fall into disrepair and to require mending.
International Women's Day
![Ella Martin Ella Martin instructs a group of students. ROM Archives SC82](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/rg140-40-03.jpg?itok=rjoFWUF2)
In honour of International Women’s Day, the ROM Library and Archives highlights a number of the many women whose work at the ROM made advances in science, art, and museology.
Toronto at the Turn of the (Last) Century
![](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/dome_of_the_dominiontoronto_the_queen_city_1900s.jpg?itok=1XBqmRFg)
The City of Toronto was officially incorporated in 1834 and the second half of the 19th century was a period of great growth in the city. The population grew through railway and steamer links, which facilitated the arrival of immigrants at the port or the new Union Station building. The harbour was a key asset for trade and expansion, and was steadily under development.
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, determination and boundless curiosity. Arti taught us that life is measured not by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away. Written by Deepali Dewan
"All manner of Sychenesses": Domestic Medical Books
![One Thousand Practical Recipes by Dr Chase. London, Ont.: 1878](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/one_thousand_practical_recipes_1878.jpg?itok=5pCP1OS5)
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.
Finding a Safe Passageway Across the 401
![Eastern milk snakes (Species at Risk - Special Concern) found beside Highway #401 between Gananoque and Brockville, Ontario Two small, striped snakes touch snouts while wound about a person's hand.](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/hwy_401_2014_1-resized.jpg?itok=3pkU3ccZ)
Ecologists working together to ensure the safety of wildlife along some of Canada's busiest highway.
ROM Photographer of the Year 2014: Recap
![Nzuri. Nairobi National Park, Kenya. | Photo by Amanda Girgis, Membership Communications Coordinator A group of antelope gather on a grassy plain.](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/amandagirgis1_wildlife.jpg?itok=U9mjizMW)
A look back at the top photos from our 2014, in-house photography contest!
Sustainable development in the Caribbean: beer and biology
![Humans are not the only mammals that enjoy the Caribbean islands | Image from Wikimedia Commons A man & a woman in bathing suits pose on a small catamaran on a sun-lit, white sand beach](https://www.rom.on.ca/sites/default/files/styles/medium/public/blog_post/thumbnail/puj_royalturquesa_beach_002.jpg?itok=RXexnqPD)
Dr. Burton Lim and colleagues are off to study bats and other island mammals in the sun!