Interning at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.

This summer I am working as an intern at the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. (HSW). I began the internship on May 26 and have worked most Tuesdays through Fridays since then. I share intern duties with a student from George Washington University who is working on her Master’s in Archaeology. Neither of us is an archivist or a librarian, so we are both learning quite a bit about the workings of a research library. The Research Services Librarian left on maternity leave at the beginning of July; as a result, we interns are discovering all of the skills and knowledge that are required to serve researchers and the general public at a city historical society by jumping right in. I  have I become more familiar with the standards of archival practice through pulling and re-shelving items for research requests, preparing research guides, and responding to inquiries. I have also built up muscles hauling Hollinger boxes and emptying dehumidifiers. In a small organization like HSW, everyone has to pitch in.

A privately run organization which was formed in 1894 and called the Columbia Historical Society until 1989, the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. has recently come through a tumultuous time of financial challenges and public outreach adjustments.  In 2003, HSW opened a City Museum in the newly-renovated 100-year-old Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square.  Within two years, the exhibits closed; although the innovatively designed galleries were intended to interpret the “place-based history” of the capital city for local, national, and international visitors, the museum was unable to attract a large enough audience to sustain the necessary expenses and staff.[1] The Society continued to operate in the historic building, renting out the former exhibit space for special events while operating the research library and archive. Like many historical societies throughout the country, the HSW had wrestled throughout its tenure with maintaining its relevancy in an evolving cultural landscape while also remaining solvent, a condition that is complicated by its position as the home of the federal government and national museums.[2] In 2011, HSW closed its doors temporarily because, despite a 99-year lease of the Carnegie Library from the District of Columbia for one dollar a year, the organization could no longer afford to maintain the grand building. Later that year, HSW was able to negotiate an agreement with the Washington Convention and Sports Authority, now known as EventsDC, which took over maintenance of the property and the exclusive rights to the space as an events venue; the Historical Society reopened in 2012.[3] HSW now controls a small portion of the upper levels of the building, including office space, the research library, and two exhibit halls. Because of the recent difficulties, the staff of HSW are ever mindful of building positive relationships with the local community.

From its inception, an important role of the Society has been the publication of historical research. In the early days of the Columbia Historical Society, the creation and sharing of scholarship among members was the main function of the group.[4] Today, HSW publishes the peer-reviewed journal, Washington History; its contributors often use the collections and archives of the HSW to produce their work. For instance, Jessica French, a Public History Ph.D. student at Middle Tennessee University, contributed “’Practical Club Work’: The Women’s Bindery Union and Twentieth Century Reform in Washington, D.C.” to the most recent volume; the article includes her research of the District of Columbia Federation of Women’s Clubs Records housed in the HSW archives to chronicle the story of Washington women in the labor movement.[5]   Anne McDonough, the Library and Collections Director at HSW (and the intern coordinator), explained to me that historians often do not fully appreciate that their scholarship begins with the work of the archivists who are responsible not only for preserving collections but for knowing the contents thoroughly in order to assist researchers. According to Anne, it is deeply satisfying to archivists to see their collections put to use and interpreted.

I have enjoyed learning about the mechanics of accessioning, storing, retrieving, and researching collections held in archives. This deeper understanding will surely help me become a better researcher. The work on my internship has also made clear to me that my career path will not likely include work as a collections director or research librarian. It would not be enough for me to acquire collections with the hope that a researcher will use them someday. My satisfaction comes from the interpretation of the historical artifacts. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to put my public history skills to work as well this summer, which I will discuss in my next post.

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[1] Barbara Franco, “The Challenge of a City Museum for Washington, D.C.” Washington History 15, no. 1 (Spring/Summer 2003),6, 19; Franco was the President and CEO of the City Museum and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C.; Trescott, Jacqueline, “City Museum to Close Its Galleries,” Washington Post, 9 Oct 2004, A1.

[2] Franco, 6-7, 12, 15-17.

[3] John Mueller, “New Hope Emerges for the Historical Society,” Greater Greater Washington, 9 Sept 2011, http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11922/new-hope-emerges-for-the-historical-society/ ; EventsDC, “Carnegie Library at Mount Vernon Square,” http://www.dcconvention.com/Venues/CarnegieLibrary/OurHistory.aspx ; Franco, 9.

[4] Franco, 6.

[5] Jessica R. French, “’Practical Club Work’: The Women’s Bindery Union and Twentieth Century Reform in Washington, D.C.,” Washington History 27, no. 1 (Spring 2015), 37-49.