Zimmermann Decorative Arts Internship

New York Historical is excited to continue offering an internship funded by the Marie Zimmermann Foundation, designed to provide hands-on experience for undergraduate students and recent graduates with a strong interest in American decorative arts and material culture.

The internship is designed for graduate students interested in learning about the research and study of American decorative arts and material culture and experiencing the day-to-day activities of a large history museum. Zimmermann interns will participate in the hands-on examination and cataloging of collection objects, conduct detailed design, technology, and social history research for new acquisitions and artifacts earmarked for inclusion in upcoming exhibitions, compose blogs related to collection objects and their experiences working with such material, and assist curators in artifact-based presentations. Interns will also participate in the museum’s program of expanding the collection to reflect the diversity of the city and nation today, and assist curators in locating and acquiring evocative artifacts. Research will be conducted both digitally and in-person, when available, at the museum, through The New York Historical’s Patricia D. Klingenstein Library, and at other libraries across New York City. Interns will work under the close supervision of the  Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts and Material Culture and interact with other members of the museum’s curatorial and collections management teams.

This internship is intended to support students interested in broadening access to careers in museum collections and curatorial work. Candidates with a demonstrated commitment to exploring historical narratives, material culture, and collections stewardship in ways that reflect a range of perspectives and lived experiences are especially encouraged to apply.