Panel 18: A Look Behind the Scenes: Our Experiences with Museums and Their Archives
Museums all have a similar goal: to preserve stories of history while educating and inspiring. This summer we all took on roles in museums, yet each of us had different experiences. Molly, while working at the Frances Perkins Center in Maine, helped elevate the story of the first female presidential cabinet member by preserving her homestead and educating the public. Sarah cataloged the archives of the Rockport Art Association and Museum in Massachusetts, which held information about one of the oldest art colonies in the United States. In Connecticut, Lydia took on a variety of roles at the Barnes Museum, primarily focusing on cataloging one of the largest personal goblet collections in the United States. At the Leather Archives & Museum in Chicago, Lilianna conducted interviews and processed archives preserving LGBT+ leather and kink culture. All of our experiences highlight how diverse yet connected the museum world is.
Goblets Galore: Archiving, Preserving, and Researching in a Small Museum Environment
Lydia Holleck ’25 Art History & Geography major
One Archive, One Community’s Art History
Sarah Nealon ’25 English major, Nexus in Museums, Archives, and Public history
Building and Achieving a Dream Internship
Lilianna Kelly ’25 Psychology & Gender Studies double major
Unexpecting the Expected: My Experiences at the Frances Perkins Center
Molly Rogan ’25 History major, Museum Studies, Archives, Public Histories minor
Speaker name: Lydia Holleck
Title: Goblets Galore: Archiving, Preserving, and Researching in a Small Museum Environment
This summer, I interned at the Barnes Museum in Connecticut, where I primarily focused on cataloging a remarkable collection of over 1,000 goblets, one of the largest personal collections in the United States. This project involved not only detailed cataloging, cleaning, and taking photographs, but also conducting research into the goblets’ historical context, craftsmanship, and cultural significance. Beyond cataloging, I managed everyday tasks at the museum, assisted with special events and projects, and gave guided tours. Through this experience, I developed a deeper understanding of how personal collections reflect broader historical narratives, while also gaining practical skills in museum management and object care. These varied responsibilities gave me valuable insight into the museum field and how collections can illuminate history in unexpected ways.
Speaker name: Sarah Nealon
Title: One Archive, One Community’s Art History
This summer I interned for the Rockport Art Association and Museum, an organization in the coastal town of Rockport, Massachusetts which acts as a combined historical art museum and modern gallery space that showcases and sells the work of living artist members. In my time there, I worked primarily with the museum’s archives, where I organized and digitally cataloged materials to ensure that the museum had a working understanding of its collection. During my internship, I developed a functional understanding of the process of working with and organizing a small archival collection, including associated practical skills. I also cultivated a deep understanding of the museum’s history in connection with the broader Cape Ann region, including its famous art colonies. Finally, I reaffirmed my professional interest in archives and museum work by discovering the capacity for an archive to tell important stories about a community’s history and culture.
Speaker name: Lilianna Kelly
Title: Building and Achieving a Dream Internship
The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) in Chicago holds one of the largest international collections of kink archives and a history of gay leathermen culture. I’ve known for years that I want to conduct kink research. The LA&M was a dream setting for this. As an underclassman, I was aware that they accepted interns, but unsure of what steps to take to attain this. Through research and funding opportunities within and outside Mount Holyoke, I built myself into a strong candidate who interned there this past summer. I learned how to preserve artifacts, use the museum database, and better understand how a nonprofit/museum is run. I also had the opportunity to connect with Chicago’s kink community and conduct interviews for my thesis. The stories preserved in the LA&M and in the people I met were most valuable to me and affirmed what I’m passionate about pursuing post-graduation.
Speaker name: Molly Rogan
Title: Unexpecting the Expected: My Experiences at the Frances Perkins Center
I began my summer at the Frances Perkins Center in Newcastle, Maine with the expectation of an exciting, fast-paced experience filled with engaging tasks. However, what unfolded was a deeper understanding of the slower, behind-the-scenes aspects of museum work that are often overlooked. Despite the quieter nature of my summer, the other museum staff experienced one of the most chaotic seasons in the Center’s history, leaving me to take initiative in creating work and projects for myself. This experience allowed me to appreciate the critical, often unnoticed, behind-the-scenes work that sustains institutions like the Frances Perkins Center, teaching me that museum work is as much about flexibility and resourcefulness as it is about public-facing activities.