This week was an interesting one at LancasterHistory.org. Aside from the fact that I really enjoy the people I work with and I'll be sad when it's time to go at the end of the semester, I learned quite a lot!
On Tuesday, Barry gave me a list of research requests. Since I absolutely love researching, I had a blast! Whatever I end up doing in the future, it must include this sort of scavenger hunt fun. (My major in history certainly prepared me well for this!) I looked up a couple of bios for some Lancaster men, learned a little about Lancastrian Sarah Ann Stauffer (photos and archival material) and her service to the Red Cross in Europe during World War Two, and wrote a short 500 word summary of Ephrata Cloister, the German monastic religious community established by Conrad Beissel.
I also quickly looked up the photograph of my grandma and aunt. It was taken in 1967 at the Adam Lefever family reunion and was donated by Jacob Dagen. I'm sure this means more to them than to me, so I'll have to pass the information along! They'll be glad to know they are preserved for posterity.
Today, Thursday, I was given a box of prints to catalogue. It's work that needs to be done in a historical society, but it really didn't thrill me at all. Apparently some people are surprised to find that they love creating inventories. I certainly wasn't one of them. Barry also tried to briefly explain the differences between kinds of prints to me, including etchings, engravings, block prints, lithographs, etc. It didn't exactly click very well and I found myself struggling to tell the difference, so I think I'll need a re-explanation next time. Otherwise, it was an informative and enlightening week at my internship! I'm looking forward to next week.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
It's Not All Fun and Games!
My most recent week at LancasterHistory.org was not really as bad as my title suggests. But it did have its moments of frustration and bouts of mundane work. On Tuesday, the portraiture exhibit was scheduled to go up. My supervisor expected that I would help with that, so he left no further instructions for me. Made sense. However, other than cleaning some plexiglass covers, they were never quite ready for my assistance before it was time for me to leave. So I spent most of my day helping in the archives sticking numbered dots on boxes. I needed something to do and the archivist was right there working alongside of me. LancasterHistory.org is preparing to move back to what they call the "Lancaster Campus of History" in January. Currently, they are located on the square in Lancaster until the expansion is complete. So to help the movers put the boxes back in the correct order, the archivists have been color-coding and numbering their collections. I also helped to transcribe one entry from a journal of S. S. Rathvon. That was certainly good practice in reading difficult handwriting! It was also an amusing task considering Rathvon's extreme lack of humility.
On Thursday, frustrations abounded. The laptop with all of my saved documents refused to connect to the internet, so I was unable to export the needed information to the director. After struggling for a while, I was given another computer to use that was equipped with Windows 2000. I'll just say that I am now very thankful for my more recent Windows Vista program, even if it is flawed! It took approximately two hours to complete a ten minute task. Later, when the curator arrived, I learned that he had already done what I had been attempting to complete. It happens. Thankfully, in order to redeem my frustrating morning, I was able to move on to research a few small details about people connected to certain objects in the collection. That was successful and turned a gloomy day into a bright one!
Even still, with frustrations and mundane tasks, I am grateful for everything I am learning and for the opportunity I have to intern here. I look forward to what the next week brings!
In the Beginning...at LCHS
I'm not going to tell you about the very beginning of the Lancaster County Historical Society (or LancasterHistory.org), but rather my beginning almost two months ago. Unfortunately I haven't written much about it yet, but now is as good a time as any to begin.
My very first day was just a few hours to get acquainted. My supervisor Barry, the curator, showed my around the library and then took me downstairs to witness the transfer of some deaccessioned clothing from LancasterHistory.org to the Millersville University Costume Shop. Interestingly enough, when showing me how to look for photos in the PastPerfect system, we stumbled upon a photo of my young grandmother and aunt that someone had donated.
I mentioned this in a previous post, but the next week or two I was assigned the task of locating information about a woman from 19th century Lancaster County (Hannah Slaymaker Evans). It was easy to find information about the many prominent and wealthy men to whom she was attached, but because she was a woman, there is little to find about her. I did stumble upon a very humorous letter from her second husband to her sister that helped explain a little bit about her character. Overall, it was a great scavenger hunt and I enjoyed the project very much. I'm excited to see where it will go.
This project was interrupted by the urgent need to pull together a portraiture exhibition in two and a half weeks. The new Lancaster County Historical Society and the Iris Club joined together in 1912 to exhibit a great many portrait paintings and busts of famous Lancastrians or works by Lancaster artists. Almost exactly 100 years later, LancasterHistory.org and the Demuth Museum have teamed up to create an echo of that exhibit, titled, "Take Another Look!" In just a few short weeks, it all had to come together, so it was my task to look up dimensions, donors, and various other information about potential paintings to be displayed. I also researched artist biographies to be used in a few of the labels. It was very exciting to see it all come together this past week and I learned so much!
Thus far, I have enjoyed my time interning immensely. I can already see that it will be hard to leave!
My very first day was just a few hours to get acquainted. My supervisor Barry, the curator, showed my around the library and then took me downstairs to witness the transfer of some deaccessioned clothing from LancasterHistory.org to the Millersville University Costume Shop. Interestingly enough, when showing me how to look for photos in the PastPerfect system, we stumbled upon a photo of my young grandmother and aunt that someone had donated.
I mentioned this in a previous post, but the next week or two I was assigned the task of locating information about a woman from 19th century Lancaster County (Hannah Slaymaker Evans). It was easy to find information about the many prominent and wealthy men to whom she was attached, but because she was a woman, there is little to find about her. I did stumble upon a very humorous letter from her second husband to her sister that helped explain a little bit about her character. Overall, it was a great scavenger hunt and I enjoyed the project very much. I'm excited to see where it will go.
This project was interrupted by the urgent need to pull together a portraiture exhibition in two and a half weeks. The new Lancaster County Historical Society and the Iris Club joined together in 1912 to exhibit a great many portrait paintings and busts of famous Lancastrians or works by Lancaster artists. Almost exactly 100 years later, LancasterHistory.org and the Demuth Museum have teamed up to create an echo of that exhibit, titled, "Take Another Look!" In just a few short weeks, it all had to come together, so it was my task to look up dimensions, donors, and various other information about potential paintings to be displayed. I also researched artist biographies to be used in a few of the labels. It was very exciting to see it all come together this past week and I learned so much!
Thus far, I have enjoyed my time interning immensely. I can already see that it will be hard to leave!
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| While renovations are being made, LCHS is temporarily on the square in Lancaster City |
Monday, October 15, 2012
The Joys of a Public Lecture
Public lectures are a wonderful thing. Last night, Dr. John Fea was in my local area to speak about his book Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? at a church. Despite discussing this book numerous times in his class on the American Revolution, I had never actually heard him speak about it extensively to a public or church audience, so I went. It was very excellent, but it was the Q & A that excited me the most! It was thrilling to see people so open to discussing a topic which normally carries much tension and division along with it. That is what civil dialogue is all about! I think everyone quickly realized that there is definitely no simple answer to the question of America as a Christian nation. Great questions were asked and the congregation was willing to try to look at the topic responsibly and in all of its' historical complexity. I definitely left feeling optimistic and energized!
On another note, I wish I could find more history-related public lectures to attend in the Lancaster area. Perhaps they exist and I just don't know about them. I'll have to do some asking-around - especially at the historical society where I am interning!
On another note, I wish I could find more history-related public lectures to attend in the Lancaster area. Perhaps they exist and I just don't know about them. I'll have to do some asking-around - especially at the historical society where I am interning!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Go Do an Internship! You Won't Regret It
I wish I had done more internships while I was in college. Thankfully I have this year to make up for that, but its a little easier to fit them in while classes are the only thing to worry about. Several of my Messiah College history major friends did anywhere from 3-5 internships during their four years! Aside from a small internship at the Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle during my junior year, I probably could have made room for more. Even if you can only fit one internship in during four years of college, definitely make it a point. Here are a few reasons why I think it's so important:
1) Not only does it provide a good line on your resume, but I imagine that it shows prospective employers and graduate schools that you are really serious and earnest about your interest in history, whatever that may be specifically. Of course I'm only on this side of the process so I can't actually vouch for that myself, but I trust my professors to know what they're talking about!
2) Internships allow for gaining hands-on practical skills, especially if you are thinking about public history. I learned so much in my history classes at Messiah College that is vital to the historical profession. Yet it's only through my internship that I can learn how to navigate the PastPerfect system, understand terms like "accessioning" and "deacessioning," and try my hand at contributing to a new museum exhibit.
3) You can figure out what you like and don't like. I struggled (and still am) to figure out what I'm specifically interested in when it comes to public history. Museum education, objects, archives, and so much more are all great possibilities. So by interning, I have the curator, the archivist, and many others all at my finger-tips to ask questions of and get a feel for their positions.
4) And most importantly, it's so much fun! I started the semester by researching the story of an early 19th century Lancaster County female artist who was related to many wealthy and important men. It was hard to find anything about her, so the task required some creativity, determination, and serious deciphering of awful handwriting, but I finally came through with a few great primary sources that turned out to tell hilarious stories! The project was like detective work. I've had to set that aside for awhile to help put together a temporary exhibit, but I have enjoyed every moment of my internship thus far.
The moral of the story: go do an internship! You won't regret it.
1) Not only does it provide a good line on your resume, but I imagine that it shows prospective employers and graduate schools that you are really serious and earnest about your interest in history, whatever that may be specifically. Of course I'm only on this side of the process so I can't actually vouch for that myself, but I trust my professors to know what they're talking about!
2) Internships allow for gaining hands-on practical skills, especially if you are thinking about public history. I learned so much in my history classes at Messiah College that is vital to the historical profession. Yet it's only through my internship that I can learn how to navigate the PastPerfect system, understand terms like "accessioning" and "deacessioning," and try my hand at contributing to a new museum exhibit.
3) You can figure out what you like and don't like. I struggled (and still am) to figure out what I'm specifically interested in when it comes to public history. Museum education, objects, archives, and so much more are all great possibilities. So by interning, I have the curator, the archivist, and many others all at my finger-tips to ask questions of and get a feel for their positions.
4) And most importantly, it's so much fun! I started the semester by researching the story of an early 19th century Lancaster County female artist who was related to many wealthy and important men. It was hard to find anything about her, so the task required some creativity, determination, and serious deciphering of awful handwriting, but I finally came through with a few great primary sources that turned out to tell hilarious stories! The project was like detective work. I've had to set that aside for awhile to help put together a temporary exhibit, but I have enjoyed every moment of my internship thus far.
The moral of the story: go do an internship! You won't regret it.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Conference on Faith and History
This past weekend, October 3-6, I had the privilege of attending the Conference on Faith and History. I traveled with my former professor Dr. John Fea (who knows everyone - it was great), a friend and former fellow student from Messiah College, Megan Keller, and met up with another friend from Messiah, Katie Garland, who is currently completing her MA in Public History at UMass-Amherst. Myself and my two fellow Messiah friends presented papers at the undergraduate conference alongside many other students on Thursday. I presented on tea as a lens to view the progression of events from Anglicization in colonial America to the American Revolution, and was pleasantly surprised to find my primary sources funny enough to make the crowd laugh! It was an excellent experience. I also listened to Megan present on the driving force of nationalism in the 1936-37 General Motors sit-down strike, complete with gun shots and flying car doors! She did an excellent job and fielded her questions well. Unfortunately, I could not listen to Katie present since her session coincided with my own, but unsurprisingly I heard that she also did very well. Much discussion on bridging the gap between popular history and academic history also took place, especially in Kent State PhD candidate Greg Jones' plenary and the lunchtime panel titled "Is Pop History Real History?".
After the excitement of presenting at the student conference was complete, I was able to stay to enjoy the professional conference. After having felt "intellectually starved" and really missing college this fall, it was great to use my mind and critical thinking abilities. There were many very interesting sessions and opportunities to meet prominent historians. Dr. Fea introduced us three Messiah students to Lendol Calder, a historian whom Megan and Katie knew much about from their Teaching History course, but I did not. I'm certainly excited to learn more about his teaching methods, plus he was just a quirky man whom I loved listening to as he chaired a session. Dr. Fea also provided me with the opportunity to discuss Baylor University's History MA with the Director of Graduate Studies, as well as ask many questions of Baylor graduate students.
In addition to 3 interesting plenary sessions at the professional conference, we were also able to listen to Tracy McKenzie's banquet address which challenged Christian academic historians to "love their neighbors" by being engaged with the Church. Again, the theme of bridging the gap between academic and popular history surfaced, as much of what the church population encounters is popular history. It is truly important for historians to find ways to reach to those who do not converse in the way that academics discuss history. This address also encouraged me to think about the way that faith informs my own studies in history and how I can attempt to bridge this gap in my own circles.
Overall, it was a much-needed and thought-provoking weekend! I really like what the CFH is doing and hope that someday I can return and be involved.
After the excitement of presenting at the student conference was complete, I was able to stay to enjoy the professional conference. After having felt "intellectually starved" and really missing college this fall, it was great to use my mind and critical thinking abilities. There were many very interesting sessions and opportunities to meet prominent historians. Dr. Fea introduced us three Messiah students to Lendol Calder, a historian whom Megan and Katie knew much about from their Teaching History course, but I did not. I'm certainly excited to learn more about his teaching methods, plus he was just a quirky man whom I loved listening to as he chaired a session. Dr. Fea also provided me with the opportunity to discuss Baylor University's History MA with the Director of Graduate Studies, as well as ask many questions of Baylor graduate students.
In addition to 3 interesting plenary sessions at the professional conference, we were also able to listen to Tracy McKenzie's banquet address which challenged Christian academic historians to "love their neighbors" by being engaged with the Church. Again, the theme of bridging the gap between academic and popular history surfaced, as much of what the church population encounters is popular history. It is truly important for historians to find ways to reach to those who do not converse in the way that academics discuss history. This address also encouraged me to think about the way that faith informs my own studies in history and how I can attempt to bridge this gap in my own circles.
Overall, it was a much-needed and thought-provoking weekend! I really like what the CFH is doing and hope that someday I can return and be involved.
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| Messiah Faculty and Students at the CFH Banquet (photo belonging to Megan Keller) |
What Do You Do With a Degree in History?
Everyone who has been a history major has fielded this question at least once in their career: "So you're a history major? What are you gonna do with that?" It's a legitimate question, but one that can certainly become tiring and daunting, especially if you aren't exactly sure yourself. You simply know that you've received an excellent liberal arts education, you have a genuine love for discovering the past, and you can think critically and write well. But now what?
For myself, I love history so much that I couldn't conceive of doing anything else with my life. But what specifically? I'm currently in a "gap year" (hopefully) with the intentions of going to graduate school and aspirations of becoming a public historian. Yet, I have no idea exactly what that means for me or where I will end up. Currently I am interning with the curator at Lancasterhistory.org, an organization including the Lancaster County Historical Society and President Buchanan's Wheatland, hoping that I will not only gain some hands-on knowledge and an insider's view to public history, but also discover where exactly I am intended to journey in my career. I am anticipating that this blog will provide a venue to write about my weekly experiences there, as well as my journey toward graduate school and the public history profession.
So what am I going to do with a BA in history? I don't really have a specific answer, but I'm ready to embark on an exciting journey to find out!
For myself, I love history so much that I couldn't conceive of doing anything else with my life. But what specifically? I'm currently in a "gap year" (hopefully) with the intentions of going to graduate school and aspirations of becoming a public historian. Yet, I have no idea exactly what that means for me or where I will end up. Currently I am interning with the curator at Lancasterhistory.org, an organization including the Lancaster County Historical Society and President Buchanan's Wheatland, hoping that I will not only gain some hands-on knowledge and an insider's view to public history, but also discover where exactly I am intended to journey in my career. I am anticipating that this blog will provide a venue to write about my weekly experiences there, as well as my journey toward graduate school and the public history profession.
So what am I going to do with a BA in history? I don't really have a specific answer, but I'm ready to embark on an exciting journey to find out!
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