Royal Ontario Museum Blog
Monthly Archive: December
Visiting a Family Heirloom
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
Collection Highlight: Sikhs in Canada
Weapon Wednesday: Chakram from India
Written by Aruna Panday, Ph.D Candidate in the Department of Anthropology at York University, Friends of South Asia co-Chair, and Summer 2014 ROM curatorial intern.
Chakram or battle-quoit, made of wrought steel, India, 19th century, ROM 910.42.52
Goddess Exposed: the ROM’s ‘Minoan’ Goddess is on display!
She’s been languishing in the Greek & Roman storerooms for years, but finally the ROM Minoan Goddess is back on display.
Empty Skies: Resurrecting the Passenger Pigeon Backdrop
A long time ago, in a ROM gallery quite different from today’s, there was a diorama that showcased a migrating flock of passenger pigeons....
The Monastery of St Moses, Syria: The Buildings
The monastery of Deir Mar Musa in its heyday included hermitages spread around the landscape, but as today, the focus of the complex would have been the buildings, especially the chapel, home to the important frescos. The archaeology of standing buildings requires looking at walls to see how they are made, and how they relate to each other. One structure may clearly be seen as one that came first, with later structures abutting on to it. Different phases may be made of different materials, or the same material worked in a different way.
To X-Ray an Egg: Behind the Scenes of Empty Skies
“That egg is approximately one hundred and forty-four years old,” says Brad Millen, a technician who works in the ROM’s Natural History collections. Suddenly the large speckled shell that sits in the palm of my hand feels just a little bit heavier. I feel the weight of its place in the world - it is the egg of a passenger pigeon, and its species has been extinct for a hundred years.
Empty Skies: Behind-the-Scenes - Recreating Passenger Pigeon Habitat
Come behind-the-scenes with environmental visual communication students/guest bloggers Justine DiCesare and Vincent Luk to take a look using photos and video to see how the flowers and scenery were created for the new exhibit: Empty Skies: The Passenger Pigeon Legacy.
Empty Skies: Who Are the Species At Risk?
In the case across from the Passenger Pigeons in the new Empty Skies exhibit, eleven different Species At Risk birds are on display. But who are these species? What are their stories?
First Peek at Empty Skies: The Legacy of the Passenger Pigeon
The ROM's latest special exhibit, Empty Skies: The Legacy of the Passenger Pigeon swoops in this Saturday, August 23. Get an exclusive first glimpse at the behind-the-scenes of the exhibit being installed!
