Zimmermann Decorative Arts Internship for College Students from Communities Historically Underrepresented in the Museum Field

The New-York Historical Society holds over 65,000 objects of decorative arts and material culture. Among these treasures is one of the world’s largest collections of Tiffany lamps and outstanding holdings of furniture, silver, ceramics and glass, textiles, toys and games, and trade and household tools from the 17th through 21st centuries. These artifacts of American material life help New-York Historical educate the public about the dynamism of history and its influence on the world today.

New-York Historical is pleased to restart an internship funded by the Marie Zimmermann Foundation to undergraduate students and recent college graduates from communities historically underrepresented in the museum interested in learning about the research and study of American decorative arts and material culture, while experiencing the day-to-day activities of a large history museum. Zimmermann interns will participate in the hands-on examination and cataloging of collection objects, conduct detailed design, technology, and social history research for new acquisitions and artifacts earmarked for inclusion in upcoming exhibitions, compose blogs related to collection objects and their experiences working with such material, and assist curators in artifact-based presentations. Interns will also participate in the museum’s program of expanding the collection to reflect the diversity of the city and nation today, and will assist curators in locating and acquiring evocative artifacts. Research will be conducted both on-site, in New-York Historical’s preeminent Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, and at other libraries across New York City. Interns will work under the close supervision of the Curator of Decorative Arts and interact with other members of the museum’s curatorial and collections management teams.

In the past few years, the museum has expanded its efforts to collect art and artifacts from the 20th and 21st centuries, a period previously neglected as a collecting focus, to represent women, immigrants, a range of ethnic and religious groups, and members of the LGBTQ community, as well as objects reflective of current events, from protests and marches to natural disasters. To remain relevant long into the future, New-York Historical is making a concerted effort to diversify its leadership, staff, programming, and collections, and hopes to play an important role in encouraging and developing a more diverse pool of rising museum professionals.

One intern will be selected for the spring 2022 semester. The intern will work for 10-12 hours per week over the course of approximately 10 weeks, totaling up to 120 hours. This internship will be hybrid with one (1) day per week working remotely and one (1) onsite at the New-York Historical Society, either on a Thursday or Friday. Please note that the intern will need to be available to come onsite on either Thursdays or Fridays in the spring. Some evening and weekend work may be requested. Those working onsite will be subject to the New-York Historical Society's vaccine and social distancing measures.

Please be advised that in accordance with the Key to NYC initiative, the New-York Historical Society has adopted a mandatory vaccine policy. Interns scheduled to work onsite during the course of their internship must provide proof of vaccination ahead of the start of the internship, and will be required to follow health and safety measures put into place by New-York Historical while onsite.