Exhibitions Intern for the Vishniac Archive
Date: July 2012
Department Exhibitions, Roman Vishniac Archive
Schedule: 2–3 days/week, 10 am–6 pm
Dates Required: Fall 2012
Supervisor's Title: Dependent on internship
Compensation: Unpaid
DESCRIPTION
Interns will work on the Roman Vishniac Archive, a recent and groundbreaking gift to the museum's permanent collection, and a recipient of a major grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Roman Vishniac's photographs of Central and East European Jewish life, captured from 1935–38, are considered the last photographic documentation of these now vanished Jewish communities. The majority of his work has never been published or seen by the public, and the collection includes tens of thousands of prints and negatives, contact sheets, personal correspondence, audio material, and ephemera. We are currently building a comprehensive archive of the famed photographer's entire body of work and are planning a large-scale retrospective, scheduled to open at ICP in 2013. Intern projects include exhibition preparation, print cataloging, creating finding aids for the paper archive, working on an extensive bibliography for the catalogue that will accompany the exhibition, assisting with educational curricula, database work, independent research projects, translation work (primarily German and Russian) and more. For more information on the project, click here.
MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIRED
A year of college minimum. College seniors and graduate students preferred. Post grads are also welcome to apply.
QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS
• Major/degree in Art History, History, Jewish Studies, Library Science, or related field
• Past museum or archival work preferred but not required
• Organized
• Detail oriented
• Excellent written and verbal skills
• Languages, including German, Russian, Yiddish, or Hebrew are a plus but not required
BENEFITS
Besides gaining invaluable experience at a premier cultural/educational institution; interns benefit from school credit (when applicable); are invited to attend ICP seminars and special events; and are offered the opportunity to visit other related organizations. Tuition discounts for ICP courses, workshops and/or labs are provided, subject to internship hours completed and availability.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Rolling. Please include a letter of interest, resume, and contact information for three references (including phone numbers) in the application. Both academic and professional references are requested.
For more information on the project please see:
"A Closer Reading of Vishniac" — The New York Times
"Out of Focus" — Tablet
"Magnifying History: The photography of Roman Vishniac" — The Yiddish Book Center