Old Colony History Museum (OCHM) operated by Old Colony Historical Society and located in Taunton, Massachusetts has an internship opportunity available for a student currently enrolled in a museum studies graduate program (certificate or degree program) with coursework in collections management and collections care and preservation.

The Opportunity:

OCHM recently acquired a collection of approximately 150 pieces of Britannia/pewter-ware items, including coffeepots, coffee urns, candlesticks, oil lamps, etc. The pieces that have been donated were made by some of the early producers of Britannia/pewter-ware in the Taunton area and date to between 1824 and 1850. OCHM is looking for a curatorial intern to assist us with the cataloging of this unique collection. The intern may have the opportunity to work with the Curator of Collections on other projects that may arise during the course of the internship.

Required Skills:

This internship requires an understanding of the principles of object handling (some past experience with object handling is preferred), knowledge of and/or training in the process of cataloging museum objects, attention to detail, proficiency working with Microsoft Office, some experience working with databases is preferred, and strong written and verbal communication skills.

How to Apply:

If interested, please send an email with your resume and a cover letter highlighting relevant experience for this internship to Brian Miskell, the Ruby Winslow Linn Curator of Collections, at bmiskell@oldcolonyhistorymuseum.org. Please also include indicate in your email when you would be interested in beginning the internship and a summary of your program’s internship requirements.

About Old Colony History Museum:

Founded on May 4, 1853, the Old Colony Historical Society is one New England’s oldest historical societies. It was established at a time when its founding fathers saw drastic changes taking place in the Old Colony region (the old Plymouth Colony). Industrialization had begun; improved transportation throughout New England meant that Taunton was no longer isolated. Immigration had also begun, and Taunton was becoming quite cosmopolitan. Early Puritan families were dying out or moving west, and the new Society put forth as its original mission “the preservation and perpetuation of the history of the Old Colony region of Massachusetts.” To fulfill the organization’s modern-day mission, the Society maintains the Old Colony History Museum (OCHM) of regional objects and archives and a research library specializing in local history and genealogy.

A touchstone to the region’s past, the Museum has evolved to include a rich collection of furniture, decorative arts, portraits, military artifacts, and an extensive collection of silver pieces. The Museum’s photographic and document collections make it a center for scholarly research on Southeastern Massachusetts and the research library also contains materials for local genealogical researchers. The Museum displays exhibits on two floors and is handicap-accessible to the first floor.

OCHM is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm.