Digitising the Montague Collection

A collection of Maya clothes

Colour photograph of a red and blue huipil (or blouse) laid flat made by Maya weavers

In April 2023, RAMM commissioned a film about the colourful clothing made by Indigenous Maya weavers. Three women from the town of Santa Catarina Palopó talk about the importance of preserving their weaving practices, their heritage and their identity. The film reflects a Guatemala connection of traditional Maya clothing within the museum’s ethnographic collection. Examples of these clothes can be seen by visitors in the new World Cultures displays. The Ancestral Voices project was supported by the Designation Development Fund, Arts Council England.

Collections review: hummingbirds

Colour photograph of a sword-billed hummingbird specimen. It is green with a very long beak and has a museum label attached to its feet.

Museum volunteer Simon Tonge spent December and January working on RAMM’s hummingbird collection. RAMM has almost 500 tiny specimens, some of which are very special. He has checked every specimen against our records as well as checking their current scientific identification. Simon shares his findings in this blog.