Collections Management Internship

Description

Organizational Department: Collections and Registration

Project Season: Summer 2025 

Program Duration: Jun 23 – Jul 31, 2025 (6-Weeks)

Application Posting Date: Thursday, April 10

Application Deadline: Wednesday, April 23

About the Historic New Orleans Collection

Established in 1966, the Historic New Orleans Collection builds on the collection and vision of our founders, Kemper and Leila Williams. We produce award-winning exhibitions, public programs, books, and multimedia. In keeping with our founders’ wish to make New Orleans and Gulf South history accessible to the public, admission is free. Researchers and history lovers can explore our million-plus holdings onsite, for free, at the Williams Research Center. 

Internship Program Mission Statement 

The Historic New Orleans Collection’s Internship Program offers students and emerging public history professionals a unique opportunity to engage with collections that represent the creative heritage and rich history of Louisiana. HNOC internships foster experiential learning through exploration, inquiry, and practice. We aim to create an environment that enables interns to identify, actualize, and confidently pursue their academic and professional goals.

Project Description 

The Collections Management internship offers a unique opportunity for students and emerging professionals to be trained in the systematic processes of maintaining material culture within museums, galleries, archives, and similar institutions. Interacting specifically with the "Carnival Collection," which comprises several hundred artifacts that illustrate the rich history and lively traditions of Mardi Gras in South Louisiana, the intern will gain practical experience by applying standardized preservation techniques to ensure the longevity and integrity of material culture. This offers a comprehensive exploration of the fundamental skills necessary for the stewardship of a formal collection. Based on a model of experiential learning and measurable engagement objectives, participation in this program will provide a foundation in the principles and practices of collections management, where the intern will earn competency of professional attributes in areas such as registration, conservation, and curation.

Project Format

This is an on-site placement. The intern will report physically to the Historic New Orleans Collection French Quarter campus and be station at Perrilliat Complex located at 410 Chartres St New Orleans, LA 70130.

Within the six-week duration of this program, the intern will complete a minimum of 120-hours of engagement, not to exceed a total of 150-hours. 

Requirements

Intern Engagement and Learning Objectives: 

The intern will: 

• be trained in applicable skills in collections management, including but not limited to preservation techniques, artifact, condition assessment cataloging and registration processes, and standard inventory procedures. 
• support with new acquisitions: cataloging, assigning numbers, condition reporting, digitizing, and tracking movements. 
• engage with staff curators and collections managers in the official registration procedure, which encompasses the Collections Management System (CMS), the preparation of acquisition reports, and the accession process. 
• understand ethical considerations and best practices in handling cultural artifacts. 
• critically evaluate the role of collections in cultural heritage. 
• engage in standard procedures concerning the transportation, storage, and relocation of materials.

Candidacy Requirements:

• Qualified candidates are students academically classified as rising undergraduate juniors or seniors enrolled in a Louisiana-based college/university.
• Students majoring in Art History, Anthropology, or History are encouraged to apply.
• Candidates should possess basic computer skills.
• An interest in collections/registration work is preferable. 
• Experience with art handling and/or gallery work is welcomed but not required.