Mission House Collections Processing Internship (unpaid), Trustees of Reservations Archives & Research Center, Sharon, MA
Posted October 4, 2016
Website: http://www.thetrustees.org/places-to- visit/greater-boston/archives-research- center.html#t1
Supervisor: Nicole Lapenta
Hours: Business Days T, W, Th, 9-4 3 months
Mass Transit: Accessible via mass transit Commuter train from South Station to Sharon. Walk 15 minutes to the Archives & Research Center.
Parking: Parking available
Mission House Collections Processing
Processing materials and updating legacy finding aids relating to the Trustees property Mission House in Stockbridge, MA. Mission house was build by Reverend John Sargent in c.1742 he established a mission for Native Americans in the Stockbridge area. The collections include approximately 13 linear feet of material including photographs, postcards, correspondence, and oversized maps and plans. Once finalized a selection of items will be scanned and the finding aids will be posted on the Trustees website and added to the Trustees collections database.
Qualifications
- Currently enrolled in an Archives, Library Science, or Museum Studies program.
- Entry level collections processing experience.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to details.
- Excellent communication and time management skills.
- Ability to work independently; ability to take direction; willingness to ask questions.
- Ability to lift boxes up to 40 pounds.
- Interest in Massachusetts history and culture preferred.
- This position requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time.
Organizational Overview
Founded in 1891, The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees) preserve, for public use and enjoyment, properties of exceptional scenic, historic, and ecological value in Massachusetts and work to protect special places across the state. We have helped protect more than 50,000 acres, including 25,000+ acres on more than 100 reservations that are all open to the public. We are a nonprofit conservation organization funded and supported entirely by our visitors, supporters, volunteers and more than 40,000 members.
The Trustees’ curatorial resources include archives, buildings, landscapes, ruins and artifacts covering hundreds of years of human history. In the historic houses, at the Archives & Research Center, and in the land itself, The Trustees preserves the landscapes and material culture of Massachusetts people. Objects and archives enrich a wide range of programs and activities.
Archives & Research Center (ARC) and the Collections
The Archives & Research Center (ARC) is the hub of The Trustees of Reservations’ curatorial stewardship. Located in Sharon, Massachusetts, the ARC provides outside researchers, Trustees staff, and volunteers access to thousands of historical documents, objects, and artifacts related to The Trustees’ properties. The ARC, an energy-efficient, climate-controlled building, opened in 2008 and houses 1,500 linear feet of archival materials which document The Trustees’ founding role in the land trust movement, the stories of Trustees properties across the Commonwealth, and the lives of American families from the 1600s to the present.
The Trustees’ collections represent domestic furnishings, outdoor sculptures, fine and decorative arts from pre-contact to the 20 th century. They include more than 30 private collections featuring exceptional pieces from indigenous Massachusetts peoples to mid- century Modern. Archival collections include works of art on paper, photographs, maps, architectural plans, garden designs, botanical specimens, manuscripts, letters, diaries, books, business ledgers, legal documents and deeds linked to specific properties and to the organization’s history.