Week in pictures
Anna de Wit (b. 1983) studied archaeology at VU Amsterdam and works at the National Museum of Antiquities (RMO) in Leiden as an exhibition project leader. She enjoys engaging with antiquity in a broad sense in her work, from the Ice Age to the late Middle Ages. She regularly tries to link antiquity to important contemporary topics, such as reception history, democracy and diversity.
Mon Construction of children's exhibition
I am working on a new children's exhibition: ‘Monsters and mythical creatures’, especially for children aged seven and up. It doesn't look like much yet in this photo, but we’re already well on our way: stages and frames are being set up, followed by canvases, wallpaper and other construction work, and finally, the collection objects arranged. The exhibition will be open from Saturday 31 May.
Tue Opening
In the RMO, we create about ten exhibitions every year, from small to large, and also a varying number at other (inter)national locations. To be able to handle that amount, six project leaders are employed. So, I’m certainly not involved in every project. Today is the opening of an exhibition I didn’t work on, but can enjoy: ‘Above ground level’. Queen Máxima will open the exhibition. From that moment on, the most remarkable archaeological discoveries of the past 25 years will be on display.
Wed Off
On Wednesdays, I'm off, but I try to get some cultural inspiration with my son. We go to a museum in our hometown (The Hague), or sometimes to my 'own' museum so that he can be introduced to antiquity from an early age. It is also a nice opportunity to go ‘undercover’ in the museum, so to speak, and see how visitors walk around the museum and react to exhibitions.
Thu Project Leaders' Day Rijksmuseum
In between projects, we try to keep in touch with colleagues at other museums, such as during the annual Project Leaders' Day. On this day, held at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, project leaders from other institutions share feedback and best practices, and have an opportunity to get to know each other.
Thu Retirement celebration
In the evening, we celebrate the retirement of two special colleagues, one of whom has worked at the museum for over 25 years. It’s not unique; many people stay on at the museum for a long time. It has also been exactly 16 years since I first walked into the office – as an intern. Here you can see how director Wim Weijland addresses the retirees, against the backdrop of the temple in the entrance hall.
Fri New exhibitions and projects
I spend most of my time at my computer, writing plans, texts, working out schedules and budgets for all kinds of projects in different stages. But sometimes it also means meeting with interesting and knowledgeable people – a bonus of my work. Today we visited the depot with the enthusiastic ‘Egyptomania’ collector Dr. Jean-Marcel Humbert, who recently donated his enormous collection to the museum. This collection forms the basis for a new major exhibition in the winter of 2026/2027, which I am preparing with curator Daniel Soliman and registrar Emma Verweij. Here you can see a fraction of the incoming collection, which immediately shows the immense variety: smoking products and matchboxes, a Singer Sphinx sewing machine and a carnival mask with a zombie pharaoh face.
Fri Sunny walk
During a sunny walk back to the museum, there was also some time for relaxation, and to show Dr. Humbert some beautiful parts of the city.
Sat Flora Filmhuis
On Saturday, my boyfriend and I visit a relatively new independent cinema in The Hague: Flora. The former KPN telephone exchange from the 1950s is now used as a workspace and exhibition venue for artists, and recently, a cinema and a restaurant with fantastic views of the city were added on the 6th floor. We see Parthenope by Paolo Sorrentino, a lush, evocative Italian film – with a little touch of antiquity.
Sun Garden
On Sunday, back to basics, to our allotment. Here I find peace and new ideas. For all our hustle and bustle, this feels like the core of life: growing zucchini plants, being ecstatic when a flower starts to bloom, fooling the magpies (the other day, one angrily threw my bag of green beans over the hedge), chatting with the neighbors about the weather and the snails. I also find a connection with antiquity through plants. Last year, for example, I participated in the 1m2 Flax project of Crafts Council Netherlands, in which I learned how to grow flax and then process it into linen. A process that people in ancient Egypt had mastered many thousands of years ago, and the evidence of which can be found in the museum’s collection in Leiden.
magazine for social sciences and humanities alumni june 2025