Public History Internship Resource Guide, Last Updated: Fall 2015

Public History Internship Resource Guide, Last Updated: Fall 2015

Public History

Internship Resource Guide

This resource guide should help you find the perfect internship to complete your requirement for the Public History Certificate. It contains information about online resources through which previous public history students have found internships, as well as details about specific internship positions held by UMass students in the past. Where applicable, application deadlines and requirements as well as other details about the internship are included, though you should always double-check this information with the institution. It may have changed since this guide was last updated. The Department of History’s Undergraduate Internship and Career Office has also published an internship catalogue, hard copies of which can be consulted with the Public History Assistant in Herter 603 or in Herter 612. Though targeted specifically at undergraduates, many of the positions listed in the catalogue could easily be adapted for graduate students upon consultation with the host institution. Additionally, there are examples of internship reports from past years located in Herter 603. Stop by to have a look!

The list of internships in this guide is by no means exhaustive, nor should you limit your search to these possibilities. One of the best ways to find an internship is to research fields in which you are interested and seek out institutions within those fields where you might want to work.

Also, don’t exclude unpaid internships from your list of possible opportunities. You can apply for a Hyde Fellowship, which offers support for Public History students to complete their internships.

Finally, crowdsource your search! Ask your peers, the public history faculty, alumni listed in this resource guide, your Twitter and facebook followers, etc. if they know of any available opportunities. The wider you cast your net, the more likely you are to find the internship that’s perfect for you.

“Always check for postings on the websites of specific institutions/historic agencies – especially for internships – often times, institutions will not specifically advertise for interns but are more than happy to sponsor an internship if asked.”

-Rebecca Schmitt, MA ‘15

“When looking for an internship, I applied to all of the paid internships which the department sent out on the public history list serve. I also spoke with Professor Miller and Professor Glassberg about which programs might be good fits for me due to my background and interests.”

-Katie Garland, MA ‘15

“When looking for an internship, do not underestimate the power of past relationships, networks, or connections.”

-Kayla Pittman, MA ‘15

INTERNSHIP/JOB RESOURCES

Provided by Rebecca Schmitt, MA ‘15 [; Edited by Julie Peterson, 2015-16 Public History Assistant [ ]

American Alliance of Museums

http://www.aam-us.org/resources/careers

American Association for State and Local History (AASLH)

http://jobs.aaslh.org/jobs/

Association of Midwest Museums

http://www.midwestmuseums.org/jobs.html

Federal Jobs

https://www.usajobs.gov/

HistPres

http://histpres.com/

National Council on Public History

http://ncph.org/cms/careers-training/jobs/

National Park Service

http://www.nps.gov/tps/education/internships.htm

National Trust for Historic Preservation

http://www.preservationnation.org/career-center/

New England Museums Association

http://www.nemanet.org/resources/career-center/nema-jobs/

Preservation Directory

http://www.preservationdirectory.com/preservationblogs/ArticleListings.aspx?catid=3

PreserveNet (*Separate boards for internship and jobs*)

http://www.preservenet.cornell.edu/employ/

Society of American Archivists

http://www2.archivists.org/groups/saa-online-career-center

Smithsonian Office of Fellowships and Internships

http://www.smithsonianofi.com/

State Jobs: Check postings for each state on the state’s website

ACADEMIC INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA SERVICES

Location: UMass Amherst

Website: https://www.it.umass.edu/multimedia-equipment-loan

Past UMass Internship Description: (2008) Assisted in digitizing media and researching images for the World War I documentary, “Model Ts to War,” and assisted in digitizing media for the “Sisters of Providence” program; (2000) Co-producer and editor for several AIMS programs, including poets of New England program, newswriting program. Also the director and producer for pathfinder regional school recruitment program

ACADEMY FOR IRISH CULTURAL HERITAGES

Location: University of Ulster, Northern Ireland

Past UMass Internship Description: (2004) Worked on the “Commemorating Conflict: Landscape, memory and narratives of identity in North American” oral history project. Conducted historical research, archival research, oral history interviewing, and partnership building with local museums, schools, and cultural centres.

ADIRONDACK ARCHITECTUAL HERITAGE: GREAT CAMP SANTANONI SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

Location: Adirondacks, NY

Deadline: March 1st

Duration: June 9- September 3

Compensation: $3000

Website: http://www.preservenet.cornell.edu/employ/jobdetail.php?POSTID=2815

AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY

Location: Worcester, MA

UMass Contact: Cheryl Harned [, 2009 Summer Intern plus additional time

Institution Contact: Gigi Barnhill, Cheryl’s supervisor, retired. Her position was split. Nan Wolverton directs CHAViC and Lauren Hughes is the Graphic Arts curator

Compensation: No, it was a rather expensive internship in terms of time commitment and travel, and to do the job well I put in way more than the required hours, but on the plus side I got to do a side project in conservation and I was able to attend lectures and workshops held at AAS, most importantly, their selective Summer Seminars in the History of the Book, CHAViC's seminar on Visual Culture, and their NEH Summer Institute for School Teachers. While not a full on participant they were fine with me lurking and helping out. Most importantly, I was 'compensated' with a wonderful network of professional acquaintances and even friends, who are priceless.

Website: http://www.americanantiquarian.org

Internship Description and Comments from C. Harned: Created an online exhibition about the history of reading in America using images of reading from the AAS collection.

http://www.americanantiquarian.org/Exhibitions/Reading/

Too much gained from experience to capture here, especially in terms of networking and practice.

Of note, don't always accept the status quo. Found I could get more mileage out of my project if I gently advocated for myself. After the online exhibition was complete I looked for ways to have the online exhibition become one in reality. AAS was amenable but didn't have physical space to do so. Spoke with Smith College Rare Book Room and they agreed to host exhibition, and a year and a half later my exhibition went up for a semester. AAS, with some nudging, gave me a $3000 stipend for my efforts. It was fantastic.

In the years since people at AAS have sent me side jobs and supported my own research by sending me opportunities to attend events, give a talk, etc.

AMERICAN RADIOWORKS

Location: St. Paul, MN

Website: www.americanradioworks.org

Past UMass Internship Description: (2003) Collected oral histories from African American veterans of the Korean War.

ASH LAWN-HIGHLAND: HOME OF PRESIDENT JAMES MONROE

Location: Charlottesville, VA

UMass Contact: Kayla Pittman [, 2014 Summer Intern

Institution Contact: Dr. Sara Bon-Harper, Executive Director [

Website: http://ashlawnhighland.org/

Internship Description and Comments from K. Pittman: I was able to have a wonderful internship experience at Highland because I knew the site’s director from years earlier when I was a student at the UVA-Monticello Archaeological Field School. I knew Dr. Sara Bon-Harper had a great deal to teach me and I wanted to have an internship at a historic site, preferably on a former Virginia plantation. I gave Dr. Bon-Harper a ring and we were able to build an internship position that served both Highland’s needs as well as mine.

Another bit of advice is to not be discouraged by a lack of payment listed on an internship site. If money is the only thing deterring you from applying know that there are ways to get around that problem. For me, Highland was awarded a Virginia Foundation for the Humanities grant that provided the funding I needed in order to take the internship. Remember that sites can work with you and that the Hyde Fellowship is also a great option offered right in the History Department.

ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM

Location: Oxford, England

Website: http://www.ashmolean.org/

Past UMass Internship Description: (2008) Developed resources for family programming including online activities and created for the Treasures Collection: Antiquities, Eastern Art, Coins and Casts the brochure Fantastic Features for Families: A Guide to the Treasures Collection.

CARVER COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Location: Waconia, MN

Website: Carver County Historical Society

http://www.carvercountyhistoricalsociety.org/index.php

Volunteering at CCHS http://www.carvercountyhistoricalsociety.org/volunteer.php

Past UMass Internship Description: (2004) Helped develop an exhibit re: the county’s immigration history. Using his Dutch language skills, interviewed immigrants from the Netherlands and Belgium

CHEROKEE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Location: Canton, GA

Website: http://www.rockbarn.org/

Past UMass Internship Description: (2005) Surveyed historic resources in Cherokee County, Georgia (partially funded by the American Association for State and Local History)

CLIVEDEN

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Website: http://www.cliveden.org/

Past UMass Internship Description: (2004) Researched toward reinterpretation and exhibit about slavery on the estate.

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG

Location: Williamsburg, VA

Website: Colonial Williamsburg http://www.history.org/index.cfm

Internship Opportunities http://www.history.org/foundation/careers/volunteer.cfm

Past UMass Internship Description: (2008) Prepared archaeological collections for move to a new storage facility; developed deaccessioning policies for the Archaeology Department.

DEFA FILM LIBRARY

Location: UMass Amherst

Website: https://ecommerce.umass.edu/defa/

Past UMass Internship Description: (2004) Identified conservation risks among the films in the archive and updated film catalogue.

EASTERN STATE PENITENTIARY HISTORIC SITE, INC.

Location: Philadelphia, PA

UMass Contact: Julie Peterson [, 2015 Summer Intern

Institution Contact: Sean Kelley, Senior Vice President, Director of Interpretation & Public Programs [

Compensation: Unpaid, but funded with a Hyde Fellowship

Website: www.easternstate.org

Internship Description and Comments from J. Peterson: I reached out to Sean Kelley after reading about the upcoming exhibit, Prisons in the Age of Mass Incarceration, set to open in May 2016. Though there were no internships listed on the website, I sent him a cover letter proposing the work I would be interested in doing with him as a summer intern, along with a copy of my resume. I ended up interning June-August, working on developing the exhibit about mass incarceration and the contemporary criminal justice system. I worked with visitors to test their reactions to the exhibit title, general content, and specific exhibition elements. I worked with a professional museum evaluator and consultant who taught me how to do exhibit prototyping and analyze the results. I also facilitated community focus group meetings and participated in Eastern State’s annual artist installation selection process.

I think designing my own internship allowed me to develop the exact skills that I wanted, as well as gain a wide variety of museum experiences. I also got to interpret a topic that is very important to me, so this site was a perfect fit! If you can make a self-designed internship viable, I recommend it!

EMILY DICKINSON MUSEUM

Location: Amherst, MA

Website: https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/

Past UMass Internship Description: (2008) Inventoried items in the pantry, buttery, and upstairs spaces; photographed, packed and catalogued those items; researched and recommended a new numbering system for museum catalogue; updated registration software for those objects.

HARPERS FERRY NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

Location: Harpers Ferry, WV

UMass Contact: Natalie Sherif [

Institution Contact: Samantha Zurbuch [

Compensation: GS-5 government pay grade

Website: http://www.nps.gov/hafe/getinvolved/supportyourpark/internships.htm

Internship Description and Comments from N. Sherif: I worked in the Education Department under the Division of Interpretation at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. In this department, I worked predominately with visiting summer leadership groups and taught middle school aged students about John Brown and leadership. I also participated in the Theatre in the Park program doing historical vignettes over the weekends.

Summer 2015 was my third season working at Harpers Ferry NHP and each summer is a new experience. It is a great experience learning how to teach in the field with a wide variety of visitors.

HARVARD FILM ARCHIVE

Location: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Website: http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/

Past UMass Internship Description: (2004) Identified conservation risks among the films in the archive at Harvard and updated film catalogue

HERITAGE PARK HISTORICAL VILLAGE

Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Website: http://www.heritagepark.ca/

Past UMass Internship Description: (2009) Developed and implemented interpretive summer programs for youth audiences

HISTORIC DEERFIELD

Location: Deerfield, MA

Website: Historic Deerfield http://www.historic-deerfield.org/

Summer Fellowship Program

http://www.historic-deerfield.org/discover-deerfield/summer-fellowship-program/

Past UMass Internship Description: (2009) Assist with creation of catalog for museum exhibition, “Into the Woods: Crafting Early American Furniture”; (2007) Assisted with development and implementation of programs for college students; (2001) Assisted Director of Development with ongoing and new projects to cultivate donors; (2000) Worked with development staff and conducted audience surveys at Historic Deerfield. Reviewed past surveys, tabulated the results of a mail survey of teachers, and administered a questionnaire survey of current visitors. Also participated in the planning of a Children’s History Center

HISTORIC NORTHAMPTON

Location: Northampton, MA

Website: http://www.historicnorthampton.org/

Past UMass Internship Description: (2004) Researched clothing and textile collections for a forthcoming book; researched daguerrotype and textile collections for development of online exhibits for website, wrote text for planned exhibit at Historic Northampton.

HISTORIC NEW ENGLAND

Location: Headquarters in Boston; Internship locations at Otis House in Boston, the Lyman Estate in Waltham, MA, and Haverhill, MA. Some sites throughout New England also offer internship opportunities.

Website: Historic New England http://www.historicnewengland.org/

Internship Opportunities

http://www.historicnewengland.org/about-us/volunteers-interns/internships-at-historic-new-england/internships-at-historic-new-england-1

Past UMass Internship Description: (2009) Surveying modern architecture

HISTORIC ST. MARY’S CITY

Location: St. Mary's City, Maryland

UMass Contact: Rose Gallenberger [, Summer 2015 Intern

Institution Contact: Peter Friesen [

Compensation: Unpaid, housing provided

Website: http://www.hsmcdigshistory.org/programs-tours/internships/

Internship Description and Comments from R. Gallenberger: I researched the interpretive collections at the recreated 17th century plantation. This collection consists of reproductions of 17th century wares, such as furniture, pottery, farming tools, etc. that would be used on an early American plantation in St. Mary's county, Maryland. In order to conduct this research, I compiled a master list of probate inventories from St. Mary's county and used archaeological findings and books to determine the authenticity of the items. Then I included my detailed findings in Past Perfect and determined the proper 17th century term for the items.