Museum Secrets rare objects unveiled at the ROM

I checked out the first weekend of the Museum Secrets exhibit at the ROM, which features objects from Museum Secrets: Inside the Royal Ontario Museum. Until February 27, six of the objects from the episode will be on public display, as part of the ROM’s Out of the Vaults series. Curators are also talking about the secret objects on a set schedule. I caught up with Associate Curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology, David Evans (who is also in our show), to hear what he had to say about the special exhibit’s opening weekend.

Read the interview and view photos from the exhibit.

Amanda: What response did you get from people during your Q&A session at the Museum Secrets exhibit?

David: People seemed really interested in the stories behind the objects. There was a real interest in the breadth of topics in the exhibit and the TV show. People enjoyed being able to speak to the curators involved in those secret and discoveries. A number of people mentioned the TV show and said they were interested in seeing the objects first hand.

Amanda: What does Museum Secrets, the TV series, have in common with the ROM’s Out of the Vault exhibit series, of which the Museum Secrets exhibit is a part?

David: Both the TV show and the exhibit series have identical goals, to take objects that are part of the museum but aren’t often seen and bring those stories out into the open. Both highlight new or exciting research and they illustrate that the museum is not just a stagnant place where objects gather dust. They show that there’s a large group of people behind the scenes that are actively taking part in researching those objects and broadening our knowledge on a whole range of issues, scientifically and culturally. There are many people at the museum who work on permanent exhibits who not only curate but actively research and push new areas of discoveries.