Memos from the Museum World: Student Practicum Updates (June 2025)

Welcome to Memos from the Museum World, a series that highlights the wonderful work our Tufts students are doing as they complete the in-field practicum component of the Museum Studies Program. Each student has a unique practicum experience, and we are excited to share the impacts they are making on the field in their own words. Check back throughout the year for more practicum updates from the Class of 2026!

Vivian DeRosa: Exhibits Intern, The History Project

What have you been up to as a part of your practicum?

This summer, I’m creating a portable exhibit about the history of drag in Boston for The History Project, New England’s queer archive / historical society / community museum. So far, that has looked like spending a lot of time researching in the archives, and later, I’ll be writing text, curating selections, and planning an open house to showcase this important (and glittery) history. Along the way I’m also creating a guide of where drag materials are in our collections to make future research on this subject more accessible.

What has been the most impactful moment during your Practicum experience?

When I began this project, I assumed that the bulk of my research about drag would be during the mid and latter half of the 20th century. I was hoping perhaps I’d be able to find some references to drag performance from earlier, but you can imagine my excitement when I learned that the first female impersonator to become a household name, Julian Eltinge, originally performed in Boston — in the 1890s. Discovering just how deep drag’s roots are here in Boston reminds us that 1) we have always been here and 2) queer history is not linear. At the turn of the 20th century, female impersonation was an accepted and even popular form of performance in Boston. By 1948, the City Board revoked entertainment licensing for cross-dressing. Over the years, drag has been both celebrated and contested, just as it is now. Although there is grief in this — that more than once queer people have been forced by legislation to retreat from the public eye — there is also hope. No matter what comes our way, we have survived this before. We will survive this again.

What is something you’ve gained that you’d like to take with you into your future career?

The History Project puts the “community” in community archive and museum. Their work is guided by their audience. I want to learn from how THP actively engages with, listens to, and incorporates ideas from their focus groups, volunteers, event attendees, and general audience.