2009 Internships
Ash Lawn-Highland
Charlottesville, Virginia
Interpretive guide and program development
TWO INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE
Terms: Upper-level undergraduate student with basic knowledge of early American history and a willingness to learn about the worlds of James Monroe. Excellent communications and public relations skills required. Need to be able to be flexible in terms of scheduling.
Goals: Primary responsibility will be to interpret the Monroe family and estate for visitors, serving as a tour guide through the busy summer season. In addition, interns will spend part of their time supporting other programs and needs. These additional opportunities might include one or more of the following: collections registration, research, writing, databank updating, office management, marketing, and special events.
Outcome: The intern will prepare a brief packet of information illustrating the accomplishments of the summer. This may include an overview of the docent experience, examples of research accomplished or of additional tasks completed.
Background: Ash Lawn-Highland is an historic house museum, 535-acre working farm, and site for the performing arts. President James Monroe and his wife, Elizabeth, owned the property from 1793-1826 and made it their official residence from 1799 to 1823. Ash Lawn-Highland remained a working farm until it was opened for public visitation in 1931 by philanthropists Jay and Helen Johns. Upon his death in 1974, Jay Johns bequeathed the property to the College of William and Mary. The site is used in the summer for a highly acclaimed opera series, and is dedicated to the humanities, arts, and historic preservation projects.
*Internship paid directly by Ash Lawn-Highland.
Web Address: http://www.ashlawnhighland.org/
Capitol Square Preservation Council
Richmond, Virginia
Interpreting the Virginia State Capitol
Terms: The Capitol Square Preservation Council seeks a graduate student to conduct research as part of the development of new educational programs and exhibits at the Virginia State Capitol. The project will involve primary-source research of state papers at the Library of Virginia, as well as research at the Virginia Historical Society, the Valentine Richmond History Center, the University of Virginia, and other holdings as may be necessary. The Capitol Square Preservation Council will also supply limited travel reimbursement for the course of the internship.
Goals: When the Capitol re-opened in May 2007, the original Jefferson-designed building and its early 20th-century wings were restored to their appearance, ca. 1910. In addition, approximately 25,000 square feet of new space is now available to welcome visitors and to orient them to the history of the Capitol and of Virginia. The 2008 internship will focus on verifying existing information currently used in guided-tour interpretations of the Capitol and Capitol Square, as well documenting new information on the historic contributions of less-known persons, particularly women and minorities, at Capitol Square.
Outcome: Working with the Council, the Virginia Capitol Foundation has contracted with the internationally-known exhibit firm BRC Imagination Arts to develop dynamic, interactive exhibits for the Capitol and its new extension. The expected outcome of the 2008 internship is the creation of a report that documents a variety of people and events contributing to the history of the Capitol and Capitol Square. This report, combined with earlier Institute for Public History intern reports on the architecture of Capitol Square, will help form the documentary basis for the Capitol’s guided tours and for its new exhibits.
Background: Created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1999, the Capitol Square Preservation Council consists of fourteen persons with expertise in architecture, architectural history, landscape architecture, historic preservation, state government, and business. The Council advises in the planning and review of projects affecting the State Capitol, Capitol Square, and other state buildings on or bordering the Square. The Council's work is coordinated by its Executive Director.
Web Address:
http://www.capitolsquarevirginia.state.va.us/cspc.htm
Gibbes Museum of Art
Charleston, South Carolina
Curatorial and Research
Terms: An undergraduate student with a particular interest in American art history. Background in art history, American studies, or museum studies is required.
Goals: Work with the Curatorial Department staff (Chief Curator, Collections Manager, Archivist, Assistant Curator of Exhibitions, Curatorial Assistant, and Preparator) on the following: 1) collections inventory, research and re-house (print and archival collections and designated deaccession objects); 2) gather conservation related information on objects in collection for computer database; 3) research prepare or update exhibition records for on-line database; 4) off-site research for forthcoming exhibitions on Washington Allston and Alfred Hutty; 5) deinstallation and installation of major exhibitions; and 6) digital photography of collection.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific tasks as outlined above, and prepare a brief report with representative samples of work..
Background: Opened in 1905 by the Carolina Art Association, the Gibbes Museum of Art represents a long and impressive tradition of cultural leadership in historic Charleston, providing residents and visitors with access to a distinguished collection and an active, schedule of exhibits, programs and events. The Gibbes Museum was built as a memorial to James Shoolbred Gibbes and is Charleston’s best example of the Beaux Arts style of architecture..
The nationally significant collection of American paintings reflects Charleston’s past and present and is a source of community pride. From portraits and landscapes of the Colonial South to the era of Porgy and Bess and the preservation of America’s most beautiful city, visitors come face to face with Charleston’s history. Of special importance at the Gibbes is the country’s premiere collection of jewel-like miniature portraits. The Gibbes collection consists of approximately 10,000 objects ranging from paintings, prints and drawings, to photography, sculpture and miniature rooms.
Web Address:http://www.gibbesmuseum.org/
Institute for Public History
Charlottesville, Virginia
Explorations in Black Leadership – [Research and Editing]
Terms: Graduate student with excellent research skills in historical materials and good organizational abilities. All disciplines considered. Intern must be able to work well independently.
Goals: The Institute for Public History is continuing an ambitious project called Explorations in Black Leadership. The project is built around a series of videotaped interviews and public presentations with distinguished African-Americans. The role of interns will be to research and prepare materials for use during interviews (to be conducted during the 2009-2010 academic year). The materials will be compiled in notebooks, for use as briefing materials for interviews. In addition, some editing of materials from previous interviews and some additional research assistance may be part of the internship experience.
Outcome: Completed set of notebooks and interview questions, and additional tasks as outlined above.
Background: The Institute for Public History, founded in 1996, sponsors summer internships for U.Va. students, research projects that include the voices of those whose memories are not part of the written record, and courses of general interest to undergraduate and graduate students. This project on Black Leadership, now in its eighth year, is developing an archive of rich interviews with important African-American leaders. The interviews will continue, and will be available on-line for the general public.?
Web Address: http://www.virginia.edu/publichistory/blackLeadership.html
Institute for Public History
Charlottesville, Virginia
Lowell Weicker Papers project
Terms: Graduate and undergraduate students with excellent research skills in archival materials. Knowledge of American history in the twentieth century essential, and particular focus on political and social history highly desirable.
Goals: Lowell Weicker has served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1968-1970), the U.S. Senate (1971-1989), and as Governor of Connecticut (1990-1994). He has donated his Congressional papers to The University of Virginia Library. These papers are being catalogued for public use. They are voluminous and they trace a long and illustrious career of a man who challenged political party affiliations and expected behaviors. Senator Weicker wishes to enhance the documentary record of his political career through oral interviews carried out with members of his staff. The papers will be the starting point for preparing for the interviews.
Outcome: The goal of interns is to prepare briefing books based on available papers to be used in carrying out the oral interviews. Topics to research include the following possibilities: the Watergate hearings, health care and the NIH, constitutional and civil rights, education, environmental concerns. The specific topics researched will depend partially on the interests of the intern. The full availability of archival papers will also be a major consideration. Interns will work closely with archivists to determine which papers can be accessed most fully for this summer’s work.
Background: The U.Va. Library and the Institute for Public History are partnering for the first time to carry out this project. The project will be based at the Harrison Small Special Collections Library, and papers can be reviewed in the Special Collections research room
Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection at UVA
Charlottesville, Virginia
Curatorial Assistant
Terms:A graduate student or highly motivated undergraduate student, preferably in the field of anthropology, art history, art, media studies or education, to serve as an intern in an Australian Aboriginal art museum. Research and writing skills are required for this position. Experience handling art or museum objects is desirable.
Goals:The intern will work directly with the Associate Curator on the following projects, which will ensure the proper storage and conservation of objects in the Kluge-Ruhe Collection and allow them to be accessed by students and researchers. 1) Assess storage needs of collection; 2) Develop and implement a plan to improve storage conditions for objects in the Kluge-Ruhe Collection, working within present budget constraints; 3) Fabricate mounts and supports to stabilize works in storage; 4) Assist with moving objects to off-site storage and rearrange objects in on-site storage; 5) Prepare documentation for a grant proposal or proposals to obtain needed equipment to improve storage of Kluge-Ruhe objects in-house and at off-site storage.Additionally, the intern will assist with office duties (mailings, answering phone) and other tasks necessary to running a small museum such as helping with exhibits and special programs, and working an occasional Saturday.
Additionally, the intern will assist with office duties (mailings, answering phone) and other tasks necessary to running a small museum such as helping with exhibits and special programs.
Outcome:Objects in the Kluge-Ruhe Collection will be properly stored to ensure their preservation and make then accessible to researchers. A short-term and long-range plan to improve storage conditions will be developed for the collection.
Background:The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection is only museum dedicated solely to the exhibition and study of Australian Aboriginal art in America. It is located at 400 Worrell Drive, Peter Jefferson Place, off the 250 East Bypass at Pantops. Programs include rotating exhibits in the gallery, research, collections management, conservation, publication and public education. The museum is open to the public open Tues – Sat 10 am – 4 pm and Sun 1 – 5 pm. See http://www.virginia.edu/kluge-ruhe for more information.
Web Address: http://www.virginia.edu/kluge-ruhe/
The Library of Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Research and Exhibition
Terms: Graduate student with excellent research skills in archival materials. Broad knowledge of American or Virginia history desirable. Must be able to work independently. The intern will play a key role in developing the library’s first exhibit relating to the American Civil War sesquicentennial, Secession or Union?
Goals: The exhibition, opening in late September 2010 and continuing through July 2011, seeks to explain what Virginians from different portions of the state and different backgrounds thought about secession or union during the winter of 1860–1861. The exhibition will use as examples approximately ten people to explore what people were reading, writing, and discussing during the period between the 1860 presidential campaign and First Battle of Manassas, with a particular emphasis on the secession convention and debates. It will treat how state convention delegates voted, what changed with Lincoln's call for troops, and how western Virginia withdrew from Confederate Virginia.
Secession or Union? will present the crisis as it unfolded, using the words of Virginians in their diaries, correspondence, newspapers, speeches, and other records. By focusing on contemporary accounts, the exhibition will both avoid the inevitability of the "irrepressible conflict" school of Civil War history and let Virginians from all walks of life speak for themselves. Although many Virginians supported secession in 1860, most did not approve until April 1861, and others remained loyal to the Union, some left Virginia, and some tried to remain apolitical.
Outcome: The intern will assist the exhibitions coordinator and the staff of the Division of Publications and Educational Services to identify the historical figures who can be adequately documented through archival and public records and who represent a good cross-section of the state's population. The diverse group should include African Americans, immigrants, women, and some of the white men who served in the Secession Convention. Their experiences and perceptions of the secession crisis will form an essential part of the exhibition. The intern will compile all relevant materials in notebooks which will be used to structure the exhibit.
Background: The Library of Virginia, the state’s archival agency and the official research library for the state government, is a major research library with printed and archival collections that make it a comprehensive source for information on Virginia history and culture. The official repository for all state records, the archives also provides access to extensive county and city records, a wide variety of personal papers, business records, church records, organizational records, and maps,. More than 120,000 persons visit the Library of Virginia annually, not only to conduct research but also to attend lectures, participate in workshops, and view exhibitions. Web Address: http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whatwedo/pubs/dvb/index.htm
The Montpelier Foundation
Orange, Virginia
Digital archiving and analysis of Archaeological materials from Madison’s detached kitchen
Terms: Upper-level undergraduate student with good computer and organizational kills and an ability to work independently. Interest and background in archaeology and photography preferred. Database experience desirable.
Goals: The Madison’s south detached kitchen was excavated in the early 1990s by Montpelier archaeologists. The site needs to be analyzed in conjunction with plans for excavation and analysis of the Madison’s north kitchen. One the most pertinent issues to assess is how this structure was used during the Madison’s retirement years.
This project will be conducted in two stages. First, all notebooks will be scanned and printed on archival paper. This is necessary to preserve field sketches and overall text information. The second step will be to transcribe the notebooks that relate to excavations of units. The transcriptions will be indexed by site, unit number, strata, data, and recorder to facilitate analysis of excavations. The field notebooks that relate to survey information will be indexed by date, project, and recorder. Once notebooks are scanned and digitized, they will be put into archival boxes for permanent storage.
Outcome: The intern will complete the digitization and transcription of the Madison’s detached kitchen, and will assist in vessel analysis. To accomplish this goal, the following tasks must be completed: (1) Scan in the strata cards from the excavation; (2) Transcribe the notebooks from the four seasons of excavation at this site; (3) Digitally photograph the artifacts (small finds) held in storage and update the database; and (4) Assist in the vessel analysis of the ceramics and glass vessels recovered at this site.
Background: James Madison’s Montpelier is the lifelong home of the Father of the Constitution, the architect of the Bill of Rights, and the fourth president of the United States. It is in the middle of a multi-year restoration of the mansion and grounds, and a transformation from a private country estate to a presidential home with exhibits, archaeology, and a Center for the Constitution. It is a very exciting place to work with a dedicated, competent and generous staff.
Web Address: www.Montpelier.org
The Montpelier Foundation
Orange, Virginia
Photography in the Archaeology Lab
Terms: Upper-level undergraduate student with good computer and organizational kills and an ability to work independently. Interest and background in archaeology and photography preferred. Database experience desirable.
Goals: The intern will assist in the photography of artifacts recovered from various Madison-era sites across the property. This work will help build the digital collection being created at Montpelier. The photography will involve pulling artifacts from storage, photography of objects, assessing whether objects should be placed in study collections, and integrating the photographs into the overall database of objects.
Outcome: The intern will gain first hand experience and will participate in building a major archaeological digital database. He or she will be part of a larger team assessing new materials that are discovered as a result of major archaeological work on the site. Specific outcomes will be determined in consultation with Matthew Reeves, Director of Archaeology.
Background: See Above.
Web Address: www.Montpelier.org
The Montpelier Foundation
Orange, Virginia
African-American Research Intern, Exhibit Production Research
Terms: Upper-level undergraduate student with strong organizational and research skills. The student should have an interest in African-American history and culture, strong communication and writing skills and be able to work independently. Some background in oral history and computer databases, specifically FileMaker Pro, is preferred but not required.
Goals: The intern will work with Montpelier Foundation Curatorial Research staff to conduct research on Montpelier’s African-American history. In 2010, an exhibit on the African-American experience at Montpelier, from slavery to the present, will open in the restored Montpelier Train Station. Work will include local community research, participating in oral history interviews, compiling background and contextual research information for the exhibits, and processing historical documents for entry into the Montpelier Research Database.
Outcome: The intern will gain first-hand experience in the planning, research and production of interpretive displays for a museum exhibit. Research reports will be completed by the intern on selected topics, and these will form the basis of exhibit text and graphic selection. In addition, the intern will help expand documentary research on slavery and the larger African-American experience at Montpelier.
Background: The Montpelier Foundation, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, is the steward of Montpelier, a 2,650 acre estate in Orange County, Virginia, which was the lifelong home of James Madison. The Foundation’s primary mission is education, presenting the legacy of James Madison as Father of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and as fourth President. Montpelier is new to the community of presidential homes, only opening to the public in 1987 after being bequeathed to the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP).
Web Address: www.Montpelier.org
For web information on Train depot, see http://www.montpelier.org/montpelierdepot/
Robert Russa Moton Museum
Farmville, Virginia
Collections Management
Terms: A graduate student with a particular interest in collections management. Background in history or museum studies is preferred. Ability to work well independently. Guidance in conservation methods is available.
Goals: Oversee, manage, and care for objects and storage and every procedure and policy associated with collections including basic conservation, mounts, HVAC, pest control, cleaning, photography arrangements, improvements, collections database, implementation of Collections Management Policy, and planning for long term programmatic use of collections.
Outcome: The intern will be expected to complete specific tasks as outlined above, and prepare a brief report with recommendations for ongoing collections management.
Background:this nonprofit organization was established in 1996 by the Martha E. Forrester Council of Women to preserve and interpret the former Robert Russa Moton High School. Moton School was the site of an April 23, 1951 student strike which began Prince Edward County, Virginia’s 13 year struggle for Civil Rights in Education.
The Museum is committed to the preservation and positive interpretation of the history of Civil Rights in Education, specifically as it relates to Prince Edward County and the role the County’s citizens played in America's struggle to move from a segregated to an integrated society. The Museum will be operated to promote positive discussion of integration and to advance positions that ensure racial harmony.
The Museum anchors the Civil Rights in Education Heritage Trail, a self-guided driving trail through Southside Virginia which explores the theme of post-Civil War expanded educational opportunity ..
Web Address: www.motonmuseum.org
Rockfish Valley Foundation
Nellysford, Virginia
Education, rural tourism, technology, oral history, PR & marketing
Terms: Graduate student or advanced undergraduate with excellent interpersonal skills. Some experience working with oral history and web site development preferred. Ability to interact well with people in various situations, operate video camcorder and microphone. Ability to develop web site, story boards and brochure also preferred. Intern must be able to work well independently.
Goals: The goal of the project is to promote rural tourism in Nelson County by creating materials for a Nelson county visitor center and a driving tour. Specific focus will be placed on the social history, agricultural resources, geography and geology of Nelson County. The intended audience is both visitors and residents. They should be able to appreciate the diversity of Nelson County through words, images and film.
Outcome: A number of outcomes are desirable. They include 1) the creation of a web site that incorporates images , text and stories about different elements of the past and present of the County and puts them in context; 2) The creation of guided tours of the geographic areas of the county as well as a booklet and web site; and 3) The creation of a visitor center. Specific outcomes will depend on the interests and ability of the intern.
Background: Since its founding in 2005, the Rockfish Valley Foundation, has made the preservation of the natural, historical, ecological and agricultural resources of the Rockfish Valley and Nelson County a high priority. It strives to provide County citizens and visitors with a greater understanding of the past, an appreciation of the present and the knowledge of the world around them to become better stewards of the landscape and County resources. The Foundation has long wanted to enrich the lives of the community and visitors with a rural-tourism experience that will focus on the unique rural substance of Nelson County.
Web Address: http://www.rockfishvalley.org
Sandy Spring Museum
Sandy Spring, Virginia
Exhibit development and update project
TWO INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE
Terms: Graduate and/or Upper-level undergraduate students with basic knowledge of early American history and an interest in community museums. Experience with material culture research and/or family history a plus. Looking for self-starters with excellent writing and teamwork skills.
Goals: Primary responsibility will be to revamp existing permanent exhibits, with the possibility of developing an additional new exhibition. Intern team will be led by a University of Maryland graduate student in public history and relevant Museum staff. Interns will also be invited to propose adult and school programs related to their new exhibits for implementation in Fall 2009.
Outcome:Each intern will submit a research report summarizing the findings used to redo the exhibits, along with photos of key interpretive resources. Once the exhibits are installed, the Museum will provide photographs of the exhibit and an evaluation of the work for each intern’s professional portfolio.
Background: Sandy Spring Museum, founded in 1980, is a community-based history museum interpreting a unique rural Maryland community. Founded by Quakers in the 1720s, Sandy Spring became the center of a network of rural farming villages. Originally slaveowners and tobacco planters, Sandy Spring Quakers embraced abolition in the late 18th century, manumitted enslaved people between 1790 and 1820, and broke up the plantations into family farms, many of which went to newly-free African-Americans. The turn away from slavery and tobacco spurred innovations in agricultural methods, commerce, civic life, and business, and a thriving, progressive, bi-racial community of farmers and rural villages lasted into the second half of the 20th century.
Web Address: http://www.sandyspringmuseum.org
The Scottsville Museum and Historic Landmarks Foundation
Scottsville, Virginia
Scottsville and The River- Research and Exhibition preparation
TWO INTERNSHIPS AVAILABLE
Terms: Seeking advanced undergraduate student and/or gaduate student interested in creating a multimedia presentation that will become the basis of a new exhibit. All disciplines considered. Initiative, excellent research and communication skills, and good organizational skills desired. Effective ability to use a digital camera and camcorder with microphone is a plus. Interns will work together as a team and must also be able to work well independently. Personal transportation is required as the project involves research and interviews in Scottsville (there is a stipend for auto wear-and-tear).
Goals: Scottsville Museum is developing a new exhibit on the impact of the James River to the town’s history from 1732 to present. During those years, the River was both a friend and a foe: it transported produce to market and finished goods to local stores, but it also flooded regularly, devastating local businesses and homes. The interns will work in consultation with local history experts and Museum volunteers to select and research representative moments in the River’s relationship with the town. Notable highlights of this relationship are bateau and ferry transportation, recreation, and the impact of its flooding. Available resources for this project include historical records and photographs available at the Museum and Virginia libraries, Albemarle County land records, interviews of local history experts, the Batteau Festival, extant local ferries such as Hatton Ferry, etc.
Outcome: The interns will consult with Museum staff and design and produce a multimedia presentation, which will become the basis for the new museum exhibit. The interns also will produce written summaries of their research with photographs and drawings and will brief the Museum’s Board of Directors on the same topic at their August 2009 meeting. These materials will become the property of Scottsville Museum with acknowledgement of the interns’ authorship.
Background: The Scottsville Museum and Historic Landmarks Foundation is a nonprofit and incorporated organization, which “seeks to preserve for public benefit the historical, natural, and artistic heritage of the Scottsville community.” It is housed in a former Disciples of Christ Church built in 1846 and its adjacent parsonage, the Barclay House. The latter building has been renovated to permit research space and to house technical systems, archives, and library. The museum is in downtown Scottsville and displays permanent and rotating exhibits on James River transportation, the Civil War, Native American artifacts, and life and events in this town over the past 260 years. The museum is open to the public on weekends from April through October. Should a prospective intern be interested in seeing the museum, a private opening can be arranged by contacting Connie Geary and Gwynne Daye at smuseum@avenue.org.
Web Address: http://avenue.org/smuseum/home.html
Virginia Foundation for the Humanities (VFH)
Charlottesville, Virginia
Research & Production Assistant, BackStory w/ the American History Guys
Terms: Graduate or advanced undergraduate student in the field of American history. Must be familiar with range of discipline’s online and library-based databases and journals. Digital multi-media production experience a plus, but not required. We’re looking for someone with excellent research, writing, and organizational skills, and a good sense of humor. Successful candidate will have an active interest in current events, and passionate about the goal of making academic material relevant to a broad range of public radio listeners.
Goals: Intern will assist with all aspects of the radio show’s production, including preliminary research, booking of callers and interview subjects, interview preparation, script-writing, and audio editing. Position will also entail extensive administration of and writing for BackStory’s website, which is a key aspect of program production. Other duties may include outreach and marketing of finished show episodes, as well as general administrative support. Self-starters who display an interest in and facility for field reporting may also have the opportunity to report, voice, and produce stand-alone segments for the radio show.
Outcome:As a temporary member of the show’s production staff, the intern will have a hand in developing many aspects of each of the weekly BackStory episodes produced during the 10-week internship program. In exchange for sharing his or her disciplinary expertise, the intern will receive technical training in radio production, and come away experienced in basic studio operation and trained to use digital recorders and Pro Tools, the industry standard for digital audio editing.
Background: BackStory with the American History Guys is a new American history-themed public radio show, produced at the VFH, that seeks to bring historical perspective to today’s news. It is co-hosted by renowned U.S. historians Peter Onuf (18th Century Guy), Ed Ayers (19th Century Guy), and Brian Balogh (20th Century Guy). Each week, the History Guys pick a topic from the news headlines and explore its historical context. Over the course of the hour, they are joined by fellow scholars, newsmakers, and callers with questions about that week’s topic. BackStory is currently being broadcast weekly in Central Virginia; select cities around the country are also broadcasting individual episodes.
Web Address: www.backstoryradio.org